It's Never Too Late
by gigabyte1
Summary: Paily AU. Emily has been living in Rosewood for 29 years. After something bad happens in her life, she decides to go to live to New York City. Will she regret that decision?
1. Chapter 1

**Good night, everyone! :) I hope you like the new Paily story that I decided to start today. Just so you know, English is not my mother tongue, so I apologize for my mistakes in advance. On the other side, I didn't proof read it, so it's probable there are a lot of mistakes. I'm sorry about that too, but I need to sleep and I also wanted to publish the first chapter. xD On the other hand, I don't know when I will be able to publish the next chapter. I don't have a lot of free time and writing in English is really hard for me, so be patient, please. Don't be shy and let me know your feelings about this story. :) Enjoy! :D**

**IT'S NEVER TOO LATE**

: Chapter 1: Istanbul Connection :

I am Emily Fields. I was born 29 years ago in Rosewood, a little town in Pennsylvania. I studied Architecture in UPenn, I had a good job, good friends, a girlfriend and a perfect life. Or so I thought. However, three months ago an event that I prefer not to remember turned my life upside down and l decided to leave my beloved town. That meant leaving my old job, my family and some of my friends to start a new life. My parents and my friend Aria didn't take my decision really well, but this is something I needed to do. A fresh start is something everybody should do at least once in their life. This makes you understand who you really are. Meeting different cultures, countries, traditions and people is a really enriching experience that I highly recommend. I was lost at the beginning, that's the true reason why I decided to enlist in this adventure. Leave behind that nervousness and just do it. That's what I did and I don't regret it for a second.

Spending so much time alone can be really good for your soul. Solitude is not always a bad thing, and that's something I've recently come to realize. Three month ago, I decided to pack and take a plane. Since that moment, I've been visiting different places: Germany, The Netherlands, Finland, Italy, Latvia, Greece and Turkey. I know, that's a lot of countries, but three months is a long time and I've been traveling alone, so I've been going to the places I wanted and nobody was there to tell me not to. All decisions were up to me. My parents were really worried about me when I told them that I needed to take a break and leave the country. I guess I will always be a little girl for them, that child that needed my parents for anything. I get it, though. They're my parents and even if they know I'm an adult now and that I can take care of myself, they will always be wondering if I'm okay. That's why they've been calling me almost every day since my little trip started. In the beginning I answered every call, but then I realized that it was too much, I felt too much pressure. I didn't want to be rude to them, so I decided to arrange a Skype meeting twice a week. In this way, they wouldn't spend so much money on phone bills and they would not only hear my voice, but they'd actually see me. Even if my mom wasn't really happy at the beginning, getting to see me every two days and realizing that her little girl was okay, meant the world to her. "Don't talk to strangers, don't go out at nights." Those were the two sentences that she kept saying every time she appeared on my tablet screen. I always laughed at that, but I also understand her worry. The other person that's been 'harassing' me is Spencer. I didn't expect less from her, 'cause she's been like my second mom since kindergarten. I'm not exaggerating, she has been that protective since the moment she was born. Her texts and calls on a daily basis was something that didn't surprise me at all. Hanna also has texted me almost every day, but her texts were more like 'How r u?' and not the usual 'Get your ass on a plane and face your life and problems' Spencer texts. Although my family and friends were a little bit tiresome, I got to enjoy every place I've been and it's been a really therapeutic experience.

I look at my watch, it's four in the afternoon. I still have 5 hours till my flight departure, so I decide to leave my luggage on the hotel and go for a walk. I fell in love with Istanbul the moment I first walked its streets, so I'm a little bit sad that I have to leave. This is the last city I'm visiting before going back to the States. Since I have a few hours before I have to take the flight, I want to seize those last hours to enjoy everything the city has to offer. I walk along the Bosphorus as the sun caresses my skin and I admire the splendorous buildings with the noisy traffic as my soundtrack. I put my sunglasses on and keep walking, but my zen moment fades away as my cellphone starts ringing. I don't want to keep walking and talking on the phone, so I look around and see that there's a cozy small café on the corner. The views from the terrace are amazing and I don't think there's a better way to say goodbye to the city. Besides, it's crowded, so this must mean it's a really good place to make a stop. I take a seat on the terrace outside the establishment and press the green button on my phone.

"Just a moment, mom," I add, when I see the waitress approaching me. "I'd like a Turkish coffee and baklava, please." The waitress nods at me with a grin on my face. The language has not been a problem in this country. They're so nice that they're willing to make an effort in order to understand and be understood when it comes to foreigners. That's other reason why I enjoyed so much my stay in this country: the kindness.

I can't believe this is going to be the last baklava I will be savoring. I am now a huge fan of these exquisite delicacy containing puff pastry, honey and pistachios or any other dried fruit. I have eaten a lot of them actually, and I don't think I'm the only foreigner that has enjoyed them so much.

"Hi to you too," my mom answers, obviously annoyed at my previous words.

"Hi, mom. I'm sorry, the waitress was waiting for me, so I had to… you know." I know my mom, so even if can't see her, I can imagine her face right now. "Are you frowning, mom?" I laugh when she goes silent. "I know you really well." I can hear her smile on the other side of the phone.

"How are you, Emmy?" She loves calling me Emmy, she used to call me like that when I was a child.

"I'm good, mom. Although I'm a little sad that I have to go back." The waitress serves my order and I nod at her with a friendly smile. I leave the money on top of the table and she leaves with a huge smile on her face.

"How can you say that?" My mom's voice is not friendly anymore. "You've been traveling alone for three months and you don't want to come home? What's wrong with you?" I pull my phone away from my ear so I don't go deaf because of my mom's yelling.

"I don't think there's nothing wrong with me. I'm happy, mom. Can't you understand that?" She doesn't say a word. I take a sip of the delicious coffee before my mom asks the next question. I knew she wouldn't stay silent for a long time.

"So, do you want us to pick you up at the airport?" I suddenly realize that I haven't spoken to my parents for a week, so they don't know anything about what happened these last seven days.

"Mom… ummm… I'm sorry I forgot to tell you…" She interrupts me when I start babbling. I suddenly start fearing her reaction.

"What the hell is going on, Emily?" The tone of her voice is not very friendly.

"I'm not going back to Pennsylvania. My flight is actually getting to JFK, mom. I'm staying with Spencer a few days before I find an apartment."

"Wow, wow, wow… Are you planning on living in New York? Why didn't you say anything?" I hear her sighing.

"Yes, I am. I'm really sorry I didn't say anything, mom. Everything happened so fast. I mean…" She interrupts me again, eager to know more about what is going on in my disastrous life.

"What is wrong with Rosewood? Is it because of her? By the way, she still sends flowers weekly. The house looks like the Amazon. We could start a botanic museum if she keeps sending those, you know." I didn't need to know that. I erased her from my memory. This is not helping.

"Reject them the next time they knock on the door carrying flowers," I add hurtfully. "I was offered a job, mom. That's why I'm moving there."

"Really?" She seems ecstatic now. "You're not joking, right?"

"I'm not joking, mom. Besides, it's a really good job, well paid and in a really good company," I say proudly.

"Oh, God, honey… I'm so proud of you! I mean, even if you're not going to live here." I laugh at her comment. She's the kind of mom that expects her daughter to live on the house next door for the rest of her life. "So… I guess you're going to work as an architect then. Am I right?"

"No, mom. I'm going to be a stripper. My artistic name will be Crystal. I hope you and dad come to my premiere" I joke, repressing a laughter.

"I can't believe I gave birth to such a stupid girl," my mom adds raising her voice. I know she's laughing deep inside. Besides, I maintain a sense of humor and I suppose that is a really good sign considering how my mood was exactly three months ago.

"Of course I'm going to work as an architect!" I exclaim. "I already told you it was a really well paid job in a good company. Although now that I think of that previous idea, I kinda like the rush of that kind of job," I joke again

"I'm really proud and happy for you. I really am, Crystal." A laughter escapes my mouth. I love when my mom tries to be funny, 'cause she wasn't really born with that gift. She's been getting better on that matter because of my dad and I. We are a family of pranksters and I really think my childhood was more fun because of that. Having a funny dad is awesome. "Just call me when you get here."

"Of course, mom. And I will arrange a trip to Rosewood. Or you could go visit me to the city. What do you say?"

"That would be great. I don't care where, but I need to see your pretty face, honey."

"I miss you too, mom. I need to go now, but I will call you tonight, okay?"

"I love you too, honey. Have a safe trip."

"Thanks, mom. I love you."

I end the call with a wide smile on my face. I take the last sip of the coffee and devour the baklava. "Delicious," I tell the waitress when she passes by my table. She says "thank you so much" and I leave the café as I wave at her. That was a really nice girl.

Now that my stomach is feeling less anxious because of that treat, I make my way to the hotel to get the luggage. I ask for a cab and head to Atatürk International Airport. I really enjoy the ride to the airport as the sun is hiding and the sky looks so beautiful with that orangey, redish shades. Once I get to the airport, I make my way to the check-in counter. I just need to get rid of this huge heavy luggage that I've been carrying and that I'm starting to despise because I've been burdening with it for so long time. I head towards the first big duty-free store that I see with my boarding ticket on my hand. I love getting lost in these stores. I feel like a child going to a theme park. It's the same feeling but with the difference of adding a few more years and money to the equation. I grab a few boxes of baklava and a few things more. I can barely carry all the boxes. Getting to the counter won't be as easy as I thought. I turn around with all the boxes on my arms and I suddenly feel bumping with something. A few boxes fall to the ground and I crouch down to get them. I see a pair of black boots and the owner of those boots bents down to gather my belongings. I raise my head to look at the mystery person and I stop breathing when I see the biggest brown eyes I've ever seen.

"I'm sorry," she adds with the sexiest voice I've ever heard. I can't even say a word. My body isn't reacting. The only thing I manage to do is flush like a teenager. By the time I realize, she isn't standing in front of me anymore. I stand up, trembling and trying not to cause another awkward moment, 'cause the storekeeper is looking at me like I'm some kind of alien. I pay for my valuable acquirements and look around the store nervously, but I don't see her. The man in front of me must think I'm a lunatic, I can see it in his eyes. 'I just saw a pretty girl, that's it. Doesn't he understand that?' I say goodbye and leave the store. There's a flight information screen right in front of me, so I walk there and I find the boarding gate for my flight. I look at my watch and realize that I don't have so much free time, so I decide to go find the gate. I still keep looking everywhere just in case the mystery woman is around. Sadly, airports are usually kind of huge, so she's obviously not around. I guess I won't see her anymore. This is really weird, I feel a void inside of me and I don't even know her. What the hell is going on with me? I just saw her eyes and her perfect nose. Is that really enough for me to drool over a stranger? I haven't been with anybody since Maya. I know that wasn't a long time ago, but I haven't feel anything, even the slightest attraction towards any girl. I mean, I appreciate beauty and I've seen a lot of cute girls, but that's something every person in the world does. We have eyes and we know when we see someone beautiful. This was different though.

My stomach starts growling, so I decide to go grab a sandwich and a bottle of water on a bar that's nearby. I devour it and make my way to the boarding gate. People are already queuing to board, so I decide to wait in line behind the last person in it. I leave the bags with the things I bought in the duty-free store on the floor and take the passport from my bag. I already have my passport and my boarding gate ready for the next step. I just need to be inside the plane and take off. I hate waiting. I'm not the only one that hates waiting at airports, the woman in front of me in the line is looking at the watch too.

My heart starts pounding when I realize that woman is the mystery woman that helped me with the boxes before. I tap on her shoulder, and I suddenly regret my decision when she turns around to look at me with those big brown perfect eyes. She's even prettier than I thought.

"I… ummm… I just… wanted… Thank you for helping me before." I finally get to finish the sentence, even though I sounded like an idiot.

She just nods at me. She doesn't say a word, not even a smile. Maybe she doesn't understand English. That's a possibility. Nevertheless she could have smiled. Anyway, she already turned around and is not looking at me anymore. I feel like a failure. 'Why does her opinion about me matter anyways?' I don't know her and I don't like feeling so vulnerable in front of a stranger. I take a deep breath and start analyzing her. She is tall, I guess we're the same height. She's wearing black leather trousers that fit her really well. The tight V neck white t-shirt adjusts perfectly to her upper body, showing her strong arms. Her hair looks really good even if she has it tied up in a messy topknot. And her smell… Well, I can smell her sweet perfume from the spot I'm standing, and it couldn't be sexier. My eyes can't stop staring at her perfect butt inside those tight leather trousers. Not everybody can rock those trousers, obviously she can. She suddenly turns around and frowns at me, like she knew I was having those thoughts about her. Even her frown is sexy. I guess my red cheeks are not improving the situation. I look to the other side, only to avoid her gaze, and I realize that the wall has a mirror finishing on the lower part of it. I see she's looking at me just by staring at the mirror/wall. I suddenly realize that she may have turned around because she saw me looking at her like a pervert. My flushing gets even bigger, and I decide to just look down at the floor and avoid more embarrassing moments.

A few minutes later, the girls from the boarding counter start asking for the passports and boarding tickets so we can get into the plane. Just before showing my documents, I pay attention at her passport. The passport is the same as mine. She obviously speaks English. I guess she didn't want to begin a conversation with the degenerate woman that was checking on and drooling over her.

Once inside the plane, I take my seat and I see that she's sitting a few rows ahead. I decide to forget about her and close my eyes. Sleeping in a long flight is the best way to get over with it. Besides, I don't want to think about anything, so sleeping is the best I can do.

I wake up five hours later. The huge coffee and big water bottle I drank before boarding may be the reason why I need to pee. I unfasten the safety belt and stand up to head to the bathroom. I walk along the narrow aisle with my eyes barely open. I'm still a bit dopey, I must look like a zombie. I don't realize that another person is coming from the other side of the aisle, until I hear her voice.

"Excuse me." I raise my head and I see the perfect woman in front of me. I just stand there, paralyzed by her beauty, unable to move a muscle.

"I'm sorry," I finally add. The aisle is so narrow that even if the both of us are skinny, we can't help but grazing each other. That contact makes me shudder like a teen. She, on the other hand, just keeps walking towards her seat like nothing had happened.

I exit the restroom and I return to my seat. I can't help but look at her. I realize that she's reading a book while the rest of the plane is sleeping. The fact that she's been reading since the minute she sat down makes her even more interesting and sexy. However, she seems rude, so I need to forget about her. My obsession over her doesn't make any sense. I don't know her, I'm not 15 years old, and I went through puberty a long time ago. I need to stop this bullshit.

When I leave the plane and go get my luggage, I look around, looking for her, but I don't see her. I guess this is the world trying to tell me she is not the one for me. Besides, I'm not looking for a love interest right now. I want to enjoy being single, and I don't need attachments. I just want to enjoy the city with my best friend Spencer and Hanna.

By the way, that event that made me leave the country and I didn't want to talk about? Her name is Maya and I really don't want to talk about that, so stop wondering what happened. The really important thing in this story is that Maya is not part of my life right now, and she will never be. I have other things on my mind right now.

**To be continued…**


	2. Chapter 2: Stay Positive

**Good afternoon, guys! :) I'm so happy you liked the first chapter. I worked on it for a few days and I wasn't really happy with the result, but your reviews encouraged me to write the second chapter and it turned out more interesting than I anticipated. That's just my opinion, though. English is not my mother tongue, so I apologize for my mistakes in advance. Let me know your opinions about this second part.**

**Guest #1: Thank you so much. I think this chapter is even more interesting, so I hope you like it.**

**MJ: It seems unlikely my English is better than yours. Anyway, you made my day. :)**

**Sheirome: Thanks! It's nice to see someone that liked my previous stories starting to read the new one. Although improving them will be complicated, I'll do my best. ;)**

**Frexijesse: Thank you! ;) I didn't think I would update the story so soon, but I couldn't stop writing. I hope you like this one more than the previous one. :)**

**Thank you so much for everything. :) Enjoy! :D**

**IT'S NEVER TOO LATE**

**: Chapter 2 – Stay Positive:**

Trying to get the luggage from the airport's conveyor isn't an easy task. Exhaustion and the heavy weight of its contents are not really helping. A young guy waiting next to me helps me and I thank him for being so nice. Before leaving the airport, I head to the restroom. That is something my mom taught me when I was a child. 'Go to the restroom before leaving home or getting into a train or bus even if you don't feel like it.' At that moment, my young mind didn't realize of the importance of my mom's advice, but now that I'm an adult, I follow her rules wherever I go. I was thinking about getting a bus to go to Spencer's, and then maybe the subway but I don't think my tiredness will allow me to do so. Instead, I decide to take a cab. It's more comfortable. I just need to show the driver the paper where I wrote Spencer's address and I don't need to think about anything else. I'm already thinking about sleeping in a bed or sofa or whatever Spencer arranged. I just need to lay down somewhere slightly comfortable, close my eyes and sleep. Just sleep, I don't want to think about anything or anyone in particular. Once I get to the arrival place at the airport I hear my name. 'What the hell? Am I dreaming already?' I raise my head and I see Hanna jumping like a little child carrying a banner that says 'Welcome back home, Em!'. Spencer is standing next to the blonde girl, shaking her head and trying to stop the blonde one. I know Spence and I realize that attitude is way too embarrassing for her. I smile at them and suddenly Hanna leaves the banner on the floor and runs towards me with her arms wide open. I hug her tightly.

"I didn't go to war, you know," I joke. I didn't expect them to be here for me. I told Spencer I would go to her place and that she didn't need to come here. It's late in the night and I know she wakes up really early to go to work. However, she's Spencer, so this doesn't surprise me at all and it was worth it.

"I'm so glad you're here, Em. And you're staying in the city with us, it's not just a visit." Hanna keeps jumping and talking really loud. People are staring at us. I don't care about that, because I'm really happy to see them. Spencer, on the other hand, is trying to stop her by putting her hand on her shoulders and repeating the words 'Stop already!' The scene I'm witnessing right now is way too funny. I really missed them. Even if I'm exhausted, this is oddly giving me strength. "Now we only need to convince Aria to move here." They've been living here for a few years now, but Aria and I decided to stay at our hometown. We both had good jobs and our respective couples. She's still dating Ezra and I guess she won't be moving anywhere, she has everything she needs there. I, on the contrary, only have my family there, and now my job and two of my best friends are right here.

"I'm so happy you're finally here. I was really worried," Spencer adds as she hugs me.

"I'm glad to be here too. I missed you so much." A little grin makes an appearance on her face. "Now, can we please leave? My brain won't be operational in a few minutes."

Hanna smiles at me and gets my luggage. Once I'm inside the car, it feels like home. My two best friends are the only thing I need right now. I close my eyes and I can't help but fall asleep.

"Wake up, Em." Those words coming out of Spencer's mouth wake me up. I open my eyes and I see a smiley Spencer. I make my way out of the car and follow my friend. I guess Hanna left and is at her apartment by now, because she's not here anymore. When she opens the door of her place I am astounded. It's not really big, but it's the prettiest apartment I've seen in my life. The simple but elegant decoration, the soft colors of the walls and the wooden floor make me fall in love.

"This is awesome, Spence!" I say, still with my eyes fixated on every detail.

"Thank you. It's really nice to hear a compliment about your apartment if it comes from an architect."

"My work has nothing to do with it. I love it."

She shows me the whole apartment, 'my room' included. It's not a huge apartment, but it's cozier than I've ever been. Even if it's night, I know that this must be a light-filled apartment, and I love those. People underestimate bright places, but it's one of the reasons why people are happier when they're inside a confined space. Light is really important in our lives.

"I guess you're really tired, so we'll talk tomorrow, okay? Good night."

"Night, Spencer. And thank you for everything." She winks at me and leaves my new bedroom. She looked tired too. She had too many hours working non-stop and then she went to pick me up at the airport, so she must be really tired too.

I look at the bedroom and everything is so organized and clean. This is so Spencer. She even left me a few clean towels, some chocolates, the newspaper and a bottle of water. And it smells great. She is so thoughtful and nice. This is like being in a hotel. I couldn't have a better friend. I put on my pajamas and get inside the bed. I close my eyes and I fall sleep. But before my mind goes blank, a woman is the last image that comes to mind, a really beautiful woman, indeed.

After sleeping for ten hours straight, I wake up and head the kitchen. Spencer already left, but I find a note she left for me on the table. "You can have anything you want for breakfast. Look at the cabinets and the fridge, you've got everything you'll need. I bought your favorite cereals too. I'll call you later. Have a nice day. Spence." I can't help but smile, she's got everything figured out. I turn on the TV and eat the cereals she bought for me while I watch the news. Today will be a calm day. I'm thinking about going out for a run, have a shower, do the laundry and then go visit Hanna and have lunch at the diner she works at. Besides, it turns out the diner is just a block away from the offices I'll be working at from tomorrow on, so I think it's a good idea getting to know the area. Once I've had breakfast and I'm ready to leave the apartment, I hear my cell vibrating. I look at the screen and of course it's Spencer asking if I'm okay. She also wants to meet with me for lunch at Hanna's workplace. It's like she has a mind reading gift, 'cause that's what I was thinking about doing. I text her back, I couldn't think of a better plan. So we'll be meeting there at 12:30. I have a few hours to do everything that I had planned. First thing, a run to activate the body, it's the energy boost I need right now.

….

At 12:28 I enter the diner and look everywhere looking for a familiar face. Spencer is already sitting on a table, looking at her cellphone. I didn't expect less from her, she's always been punctual. Hanna waves at me as she serves lunch to a couple that's sitting next to Spencer's table. I smile at her and wave back. I know she won't be joining us, but we will have plenty time for that now that my stay here is permanent.

Before coming here, I left Spencer's place and I passed by the building where I'll be working for at least 6 months. I approached the entrance of the building, looked inside and it looked great. At least the hall looked good, I don't know about the offices that are supposed to be on the 25th floor, but I'm pretty sure that place will look just like the entrance. It's one of the best architectural firms in the city, and I guess the company's image plays a major role in this case.

….

"Hi!" I add cheerfully.

"You're in a good mood. How was your morning?" Spencer politely asks.

"It was great. Thanks for asking and thank you so much for the cereals and everything." She shakes her head, like she's denying that is a reason to be grateful for. She loves doing that kind of things and I'm sure she's feeling better than I am because of that. She has always loved being a generous person. I take a seat and she puts her cell inside the purse. "I was surprised that you had time to have lunch," I admit. I know she has really hectic schedules at the hospital.

"I'm a neurosurgeon, but I have a life outside the hospital, you know? Besides, I don't have to go back because my shift started at 4 AM, so we can do something afterwards." Her eyes lit up, even if she didn't have too much to sleep tonight and had to wake up really early, I can see that she's in the mood to hang with me, and that's great.

"Hi, ladies. Can I help you with anything?" Hanna interrupts us, ready to take our order.

"Hi, Hanna. We're hungry, right, Spence?" I say, teasing her.

I order a sandwich and Spencer asks for a salad. Hanna leaves and we continue our conversation. We have so much to talk about.

"So… I don't know where to start, Em." Her gaze and smile make me laugh.

"You're my friend, you can ask anything," I tease her.

Her teasing face disappears and I realize she's going to ask me about the only thing I don't want to talk about.

"What happened? I mean… You were so happy last time I saw you with her. You seemed so in love… When you told me that it was over that was a great shock. I didn't see that coming."

I sigh before trying to answer her awkward question. "I am really happy right now, so can we please leave this conversation for another moment? I don't feel like talking about that, okay? I just need to move on, that's the past." I try to hide my disappointment.

"It's okay, Em. I just want you to know that I'm here whenever you're ready to talk about it. I'm just happy you're in a better shape right now." I nod at her and give her a sincere smile. Hanna comes with our food and interrupts us again. It doesn't matter, though, because I'm hungrier than ever.

"Thank you so much," we both say in unison before Hanna leaves again. The diner is packed and she's running all over the place, trying to get as much orders as she can. I can see she's really good at her job. She's charming, hard-working and has that smile that never fades away from her face. We start eating, but the conversation goes on.

"Are you nervous about tomorrow?"

"Well, yeah I am. I mean, it's a great opportunity and I want to give a good impression. But, new people, new job, new bosses… It's a little bit scary," I admit.

"I'm pretty sure they will love you. And I know that you're a hard-working, nice and intelligent woman, so they will also see that."

"Thanks, Spence. I hope everything goes well." I grab another bite of the delicious sandwich. "Anyway, we won't be talking about me all day. How about you? How is work?"

"It's exhausting, but gratifying at the same time. I work a lot of hours, but I love it, so I really can't complain." Every time I've seen her speaking about her career, her eyes lit up, and that's a good thing. Not everybody loves her profession so much.

She starts speaking about her cases today in the hospital. Her passion when she speaks about nerves, brains and spinal fluid is actually funny. She talks about this last case she's been working on for about 15 minutes, giving me enough time to finish the sandwich while I nod at her comments. She already finished eating her salad so she's practically giving me a lecture about medical procedures. She's lucky I can have lunch while speaking about blood and organs, because most of people aren't. When I finish the sandwich, Hanna approaches with three huge ice creams and a sandwich and leaves them on the table.

"My shift is finally over, girls. I'll be joining you two in five minutes. Yay!"

"Hanna! We didn't order these…" Spencer starts saying, but Hanna winks at her and gets into the kitchen. They look delicious, so I won't complain about it.

"Is there someone new in your life?" I ask teasingly. A shy smile makes an appearance and I suppose that means she met somebody.

"Well… It's new, but I met a really nice boy one month ago. It's not anything serious yet, but I'm really happy." Her cheeks are getting really red.

"That's great, Spence. I hope we can meet him soon."

"And what about you?" she asks, eager to know if there's something interesting happening on my love life.

Suddenly, Hanna gets a spare chair and sits next to me. "What are you talking about?" She tastes the sandwich she brought a few minutes ago, but she looks at me with an obvious interest on the conversation.

"We're talking about Emily's love life," Spencer teases me, knowing that Hanna will start with her question-bombing.

"Did you meet a girl? When you were on vacation? Where is she from? Are we going to meet her? Tell us more." Spencer starts laughing while she looks at me. I knew this would happen. It's impressive how Hanna gets to gather so much information on her mind in just a few seconds. 'Damn you, Spencer!'

"Nothing happened, girls. I don't have that in mind yet," I lie, evading their looks and looking anywhere but their eyes. I mean, I didn't think about that before yesterday, but she activated something inside me that I didn't think was possible yet. I'm still healing. How is possible she got to do that even if I don't really know her? This sucks.

"You obviously are lying. There's something you're hiding, right?" Spencer adds, getting me nervous and making Hanna open her eyes widely.

"No, I'm not. It's just… It's nothing," I finally say, avoiding the subject. I can't lie to them, it's something that I've tried since we've been friends, but I always failed. Their gaze has an effect on me that makes me say what really is going on my mind.

"That's bullshit, Em. Spit it out already," Hanna insists, grinning at me and anxious to know more about the girl I'm trying to forget about.

"It's really nothing, girls. I just bumped into a really pretty woman in the airport and that's all. But she didn't seem interested and was kind of bad-mannered. That's everything that happened in these three months. I didn't go on vacation to flirt with strangers, I just needed some space. End of the story."

"She was bad-mannered but you liked her. How's that even possible?" Spencer is a little bit astonished at my confession. She's right, though. It doesn't make any sense at all.

"I guess she was incredibly hot. Emily would like to get into her pants. That's what your friend is trying to say, Spence. I thought you were the intelligent one," she teases Spencer, nudging her jokingly. Spencer can't help to laugh.

"She had something. I don't know how to explain it. It was the first time in my life I've felt that kind of attraction towards someone. It was weird." Both of them stop eating ice cream and are paying attention at my words. "It doesn't matter anyways. I won't see that person again and even if I did nothing would happen, so… you can forget about that."

"You don't know that, Em. It's a small world." Hanna has always been the most positive person I've ever known.

"Based on statistics, that's practically impossible. Even if they shared a plane, that doesn't mean she lives in the city. Maybe she was just here to get transferred to another flight and she actually is living in Hawaii," Spencer adds, making Hanna frown.

"You're such a party pooper," Hanna says still frowning at Spencer. I know Spencer is right, and I shouldn't give a shit, but her beautiful face won't go away from my mind. I suppose time heals everything.

….

I take a deep breath and get inside the building. A man asks where I'm going and I show her my ID. I guess this is a security checkup, but it makes me feel like I'm a VIP. I enter the modern elevator and push the 25th floor button. My heart is racing. A new job always makes me really nervous, because I don't know what to expect from it and uncertainty gets me on my nerves. When the elevator doors open, an older but attractive man is waiting to greet me.

"Good morning, Ms. Fields. The superintendent called, so I knew you were already here." He looks at his watch. "I like punctuality." He smiles at me. "My name is Kevin and I'm going to show you the premises. Then I'd like you to meet the team you'll be working with. Follow me, please." He is wearing a nice suit and he looks very professional. The offices are more elegant that I imagined. I notice all eyes are on me, and that makes me even more nervous. I walk behind him, trying to follow his pace. He shows me where the kitchen, the restroom, the break room and the main offices are. The place is huge, so he's only showing me the most important places. When we get to a black door that's at the end of the corridor, he just stops and turns to look at me.

"This is the company's president office, but he's not here today. He had some meetings to attend to, so I hope you'll get to meet him tomorrow." I don't know why, but that door scares me, and I prefer if I don't have to get in there any time soon. Kevin keeps talking while I keep thinking about that creepy door. "So… I don't know the working methods you used on your previous job, but here we have a teamwork philosophy. We kind of realized that is the best way to successfully implement the architectural projects. Is that okay with you?"

I nod at him. "Of course that's okay. I don't mind working with other people."

"Fantastic." He flashes a perfect smile at me. "Would you like a coffee? There's someone I want you to meet and she isn't here yet. A cup of coffee always helps in this cases, don't you think?" I smile at him. "You'll be working with her on this new project that we started last week, meaning you'll be like twins." His jokes are starting to annoy me, but I have to fake the smile in order to make a good impression.

"Okay," I say briefly.

He takes his cellphone from his pocket and makes a call. "Tiffany, could you please tell her to come to the break room when she gets here?" He is listening carefully to the person he's talking to and keeps nodding. "Great. We're waiting right here. Thank you so much." He ends the call and fills two cups of coffee before putting them on the table. "She's on her way," he adds, looking at me. I nod and take a sip of the caffeine that I need so much right now. I keep looking at the glass door, waiting anxiously for that woman to show up while Kevin keeps talking about the company's philosophy and other matters regarding the fascinating projects they're involved in. When I see her walking towards us my heart stops pounding. This can't be happening. Am I so obsessed with than woman that I keep seeing her even if she's not really here? She's like a ghost for me.

"Good morning, Paige. I was just telling Emily about the apartment skyscraper that you two will be working on." She stops in front of me and holds out her hand, but doesn't say a word. I realize she noticed too.

"No shit!" Those are the words that come out from my mouth. Kevin just looks at me open-mouthed. Paige doesn't perturb not even a little bit, she's definitely an ice queen. A really sexy ice queen.

**To be continued…**


	3. Chapter 3: Reality Slap

**Good afternoon, guys! :) I'm glad you're enjoying this story. I wasn't so sure that you'd like it after I wrote the first chapter. I had the feeling it was a dull story, but after thinking about different options, and now that I've written this chapter, I'm beginning to enjoy writing it. This third chapter is a little bit hurtful for you Paily lovers, but I think this is necessary in order to get to a happy place. I don't know if you've read any stories I wrote before this one, but I love angst and cliffhangers, so you'll have to be patient about that. :D English is not my mother tongue, so I apologize for my mistakes in advance. Let me know your opinions about it.**

**MJ: Thank you for being so nice to me. I'm glad you like this so far. And I have a feeling you'll be officially a fan after reading this chapter. Hahaha. :D Hanna is the character I enjoy the most writing because of her sense of humor. :)**

**Guest #1: Thanks! Sexy Paige is going to be sexier from now on. That was only a tiny part of her full potential. xD**

**Guest #2: This chapter is even nicer. :D**

**Guest #3: I do remember that Ezria moment. I didn't think about that when I was writing, but now that you mentioned, it's the same feeling but with different characters. :D**

**Rudy Maro: I guess you wanting more is a good sign, right? xD Your wish is my command. :D**

**Thank you so much for everything. :) Enjoy! :D**

**IT'S NEVER TOO LATE**

**: Chapter 3 – Reality Slap:**

'No shit!' were the only words that I managed to say when I saw the woman I was not supposed to see just in front of me waiting for me to shake her hand. I'm paralyzed, I can't move a muscle.

"Is something wrong, Emily?" Kevin finally breaks the silence and the awkward atmosphere that's invaded the room.

I look her in the eye and she doesn't seem affected at all. I must look like an idiot. I need to grow a pair and act normal, pretend that I've not been thinking about her since the day I met her at the airport.

"I'm fine. Everything's okay. I just remembered I left the hair straighteners on and I need to call my friend," I say, making up the worst excuse in the history of the world. I leave the room straight away, with my phone on my hands, trying to conceal my big lie.

"What was all that about?" I hear Kevin's voice as I walk down the corridor. I guess he's wondering what happened for me to behave like that.

I lock myself inside the restroom and close my eyes and I try to carry out the relaxation technique that Spencer once taught me and which she uses to concentrate before going inside an OR. I open my eyes and text Spencer. I need to get rid of this feeling and texting her what just happened may help. 'The woman you said was statistically impossible I would see again? Turns out she works here. I needed to tell someone.' I press the send button and I oddly feel better. It seems like it worked.

"You can do this, Emily. Now get your ass out there and get your shit together!" I say to myself while I look at the mirror. I open the door and walk towards the room where everything happened. Paige… Yeah, that's her name, and I like it… is now sitting on the table with a cup of coffee on her hands while Kevin is speaking with her. A silence falls between the two of them as I enter the room.

"Is there a problem, Emily?" Kevin insists. I suppose he didn't fall for my convincing lie. I wonder why.

"Everything is perfect. I only needed to make a very important phone call, that's all." Paige doesn't even look at me.

"Then I'll leave you two alone." 'I don't think that's a good idea, Kevin,' I think to myself. "I'm just an accountant and I don't want to be a nuisance." He stands up and laughs at his bad joke. "Anyways, you know where my office is, in case you need anything else, I'll be right there."

"Sure. Thanks," I say politely.

"Paige will help you to catch up regarding your project. Be kind to her, all right?" Kevin teases the beauty that's only a few feet away from me.

"I always end up having to deal with the interns, so I'm well trained to manage this situation," she adds, obviously trying to provoke me.

Kevin leaves and I take a few seconds to think about the proper words I'll use to let her know it's not okay to say what she said.

"I'm not an intern, you know." I should have thought for a few seconds more, because now I look like a moron. Having her right next to me doesn't help, though. "I've been working for five years and I was involved in a lot of important projects. That was inappropriate of you."

She just ignores me and that gets me in my nerves. She suddenly stands up and exits the room leaving me speechless. I follow her to an office that's nearby, it has two desks and she takes a seat on the one on the left.

"That is your desk," she says pointing at the desk that's next to hers. She stands up and opens a cabinet to get a mountain of papers from inside. She places it on my desk. "Those are the sketches and all the information you need to know about the project. Mark was working on those, but I guess you should be doing that from now on. Check that out and ask if you have any questions," she adds a little bit rudely.

"Kevin told me we were supposed to work together. I mean, you're an engineer, right?"

"Let me handle all the engineering matters and you just focus on whatever architects do, okay?"

"What the hell is wrong with you?" I don't matter if they fired me for yelling at her, but my patience has limits, and she is being a jerk.

"I like to work alone. It turns out I work better with no one bothering me." She doesn't even look at me. She may be hot, but she's a jerk and a coward.

"How am I supposed to work on the design if I don't know your thoughts about the water, disposal, electricity installations and everything else you are supposed to work on?" I add, showing her that I'm upset.

"I will show you my progress on those matters and then you can work with that," she insists. I know that method won't work, but I prefer to give up and ignore her as well. I will focus on the project and try to do a good job. Even if she thinks I'm an intern, I actually took a dual degree in civil engineering and architecture, so this is not a problem for me. In fact, I used to work on the whole project in my previous work back at Rosewood. I didn't need an engineer helping me like I'm supposed to work in here. Back then, I was responsible of every aspect of the project, both architectural design and engineering, so I can obviously handle this situation. That's why I decide to ignore Paige and keep up with my work. I take the iPod of my purse and put the earphones on with the intention of eluding the reality and focusing on the important project I have on my hands. I can be harsh too, and I will show her that. I don't even look at her, but I can feel her eyes on me and that feels like a victory. I submerge myself in the blueprints and calculations and time flies by. I look covertly at my watch when I realize that Paige stands up and see that it's already lunch time.

"I'm going to have lunch, okay?" I hear her words, but I keep ignoring her, so I keep my eyes fixated on the papers in front of me. I'm so mad that she will have to make a better effort if she wants me to treat her with respect. After a few seconds ignoring her, she just leaves. That's when a sight escapes my mouth and I suddenly feel better.

I texted Hanna before that I was thinking about getting a sandwich from the diner, but she insisted that she would send the delivery man. Besides, this building was part of his delivery route, so it wouldn't be a personal favor. That's why I finally accepted Hanna's offer. I already told her that I would love to have an avocado and shrimp sandwich, so I only have to wait. I dig immerse myself in reading the whole project and thirty minutes later I hear a young boy's voice. I take my earphones off and look at the shy guy.

"You're Emily, right? I was told this was your office." His kindness cheers me up, I guess people aren't always assholes.

"This is for you. And this…" he continues saying as he points at a cupcake, "This is on the house." I smile at him, and at that instant Paige makes her entrance. "Well, I guess you know who told me to give you this. I mean…" I interrupt his nervousness.

"I know that. Thank you so much. Have a nice day, Mike," I respond after reading his tag where his name is written. I smile at him again and make him flush.

I start eating the sandwich and I finish it in record time. I guess I was hungry after all.

"An admirer?" Paige asks, pointing at the cupcake. I turn my head to look at her with a furious look on my face. She's treating me like shit and now she's making fun of me. This is unacceptable. My face expression changes when I hear her next words. "It doesn't surprise me. Those dimples when you smile must have broken a lot of hearts." A look of astonishment invades my face and a blush follows it, but she acts like nothing happened. Was she flirting with me? I don't understand what is going with her, but it's getting very annoying. I don't know if I can keep working next to her even if we don't talk to each other. This is really awkward. I'm grateful Kevin enters our office and breaks the awkward silence that she obviously provoked.

"He wants to see you in his office. His last meeting ended and wants to have a few words with you." My heart skips a beat because I guess he's referring to my boss.

"Good luck with him," Paige adds satirically. The worst part about it it's that she got to make me even more nervous.

When I enter the office with the black door I realize that the office is not actually as intimidating as I thought it would be. It's actually simple but elegant at the same time. The tall man approaches me with a smile on his face. He seems nice. My nervousness fades away when he stretches my hand.

"We're really glad to have you here, Emily. I'm sorry I couldn't be with you when you got this morning, but I had a few businesses to attend. Anyways, I just wanted to thank you for joining us and I hope everything goes well for both sides."

"Thank you so much, sir. I'm happy to be here and I will work hard to prove that I deserve my place at this place," I admit.

"I'm sure of that. Your résumé was impressive so I don't have any doubt about your skills and efficiency." His comment cheers me up after the shitty morning I had. "I have to be in another meeting in five minutes, but I want you to know that I'm here for you, you just have to knock on the door. I'm being honest about that. I will do anything in my power to ensure that you're happy at the company, and you can tell me any problem you need help with." If he's being serious, I think he will be a great boss.

"Thank you so much. I really appreciate that." I smile shyly. He seems an honest man. I have to take advantage of that. "There's something that's been bothering me a bit, so if you have a minute for me…"

He takes a seat and looks me in the eye. "Sure, tell me. What happened?" He seems interested in knowing what is going on.

"Kevin told me that I have to work side by side with an engineer, it turns out she doesn't want to work as a team, so this could affect the project." I had to tell him what happened with Paige earlier. I mean, I don't want to make her look bad, even if she's a jerk. I just want to do a good job and it feels like that's going to be harder if Paige is my teammate. I want to be the best and if she's going to be an obstacle, then I need to be clear about it.

He starts laughing and I stare at him with a surprised look and open mouthed.

"Give her time, she can be an asshole sometimes." I can't believe he's talking about her like that. She's an employee and the words he used are kind of respectful. I guess he saw my face and tries to make amends. "I'm sorry, I shouldn't have said. Anyway, that's my opinion." He grins at me. "By the way, Paige is my daughter." I feel shortness of breath. Bad decision, Em. "Don't worry about that, I will speak with her. You did the right thing," he insists. However, I feel like I screwed up. I told my boss her daughter is an incompetent. "I have to leave now, but you know I'm here for you. I'm really happy to have you here. Have a nice day." He opens the door for me and I leave with a bad feeling.

I head to my office and I continue working. Paige doesn't say a word this time, but I can feel her eyes on me. I just put my earphones on and continue doing what I do best. Two hours later, Paige leaves the office and ten minutes later, I pick my things up and do the same thing. I should have left one hour before, but I wanted to finish something before leaving the workplace. Most people already left, so I take my coat and leave the office. When I'm approaching the president's office, I hear yelling. Then, Paige leaves the office slamming the door with a murderous gaze fixed on me. I hope my second day improves the first one. It's not going to be complicated.

….

When I open the apartment door, I see Spencer sitting on the couch and she suddenly jumps off of couch and approach me. I guess my exhaustion face is a hint of my mood. I saw a lot of texts from Spencer after I told her I was going to be working with Paige, but she doesn't know what happened later. She hugs me.

"That bad?" I hug her back.

"It wasn't the best day of my life." I pull away from the hug and try to smile.

"Hanna wanted to come over for dinner, but I suppose you'd prefer to rest. I will call her right away to cancel the dinner." She takes her cell and starts typing.

"That's not necessary, Spencer. I feel like talking to both of you. I need to vent to someone." She leaves her cell on the table.

"Go get a shower and I will cook. A shower always works for me and you'll feel better afterwards. Okay?" I nod at her.

"Thanks, Spence." She smiles at me, then makes her way to the kitchen.

Hot water always makes me feel relaxed. Once I'm out, I approach the kitchen and offer my help to Spencer, but she just takes a cold beer from the fridge and points at the couch.

"Thanks," I add politely.

"You're welcome. So… I know that Hanna wants to know what happened too, but…" She's obviously curious about my shitty day and I get it. Suddenly, we hear the bell. It's like Hanna realized we were going to talk about it. Spencer laughs at me.

"She has powers," she jokes. I laugh at her joke.

Hanna enters the apartment carrying a bag with ice cream. She hands it to me and I put them inside the freezer.

"So… bad day, huh?" She hugs me and I nod at her. "I'm sorry, Em," she adds before pulling away. The three of us take a seat at the dining table and Spencer serves the spaghetti. It smells great and I'm actually very hungry, so we start eating, even if I know they're waiting for me to start speaking.

"I have to work side by side with he. When I saw her… I was like… I don't know how to explain that feeling."

"I can help you with that, Em. Sexual attraction, those are the two words that you're experimenting." Spencer laughs at Hanna's words and I can't help but do the same.

"She's an asshole."

"Who is?" Spencer asks, frowning at me.

"Paige."

"So that's her name," Hanna adds. "What did she do?"

"She basically ignores me and we're supposed to work together. It seems like she wants me out of the company before she gave me a change to work with her. It's frustrating." I'm not holding tears, but this is upsetting me more than I expected.

"She's doing that because she likes you," Hanna lets out. Spencer shakes her head.

"What the hell are you saying, Hanna? I'm telling you she hates me!" I didn't mean to raise my voice, but I need to get rid of anger.

"That's stupid, Hanna." Spencer is clearly not supporting Hanna's theory.

"I'm sorry if that bothered you, Em. But I have a feeling she is attracted by you. I mean, that kind of attitude shows she's hiding something. That's only a supposition, though."

"That's not everything. I told the boss she was being a jerk and it turns out he's her father. Meaning, And that was everything that happened today. I was actually perfect," I say sarcastically.

"How did he react?" Spencer asks, frowning at me.

"He said her daughter is a jerk and that he would talk to her."

"That's good news, don't you think?" Hanna insists, trying to make me feel better.

"Well, yeah, but now she knows and everything will be even worse. I mean, we share the office and I have to see her face every day. Not only that, we are supposed to work together.

"You have to stay positive. Tomorrow will be another day." Even if they're trying to cheer me up, I don't think tomorrow everything will go miraculously smoother. However, ice cream heals everything, and that's what I'm going to do. I will focus on ice cream and forget about what is going to happen tomorrow.

**To be continued…**


	4. Chapter 4: Tough Decision

**Good night, guys! :) I finally updated the story. This chapter is only an introduction for the next chapter, that's why it's so short. But I anticipate chapter 5 is going to be juicier, so just be patient and prepare for a little bit of Paily love. :D I'm already working on that chapter, but you'll have to wait because I'm not going to be able to write for a few days due to a personal matter. I love your reviews and they're always encouraging me to keep writing this story. I hope that you are enjoying it too. By the way, I'm open to all kinds of suggestions regarding the storyline, so don't be shy about that. As you already know, English is not my mother tongue, so I apologize for my mistakes in advance. Let me know your opinions about this last update. ;)**

**Sheirome: If you were waiting for this chapter, then you'll love it, but I think the next one will be even better. xD Thank you so much for your nice words! :)**

**julietdiamondsx: Thanks! That's really nice of you. ;)**

**Rudy Maro: Thank you! This is just the beginning, that's why these first chapters won't be as interesting as what is to come. :D**

**MJ: Wow! I'm glad I contributed at least a little bit to your shitty day. Paige is being an asshole, but I'm sure you'll come to love her in a few chapters. :D I just love cliffhangers, I can't help it. I'm sorry about that. Hahaha. Besides, cliffhangers are the best way to get every reader to become addicted to my story. xD And I know deep down you all love cliffhangers. :D Spoiler alert… there may be a cliffhanger this time too. :D**

**alexzmc: Thank you! Improving my previous story will be a complicated task, but I'll make every effort to get there. :) Honestly, I didn't expect 'Meant to be' to be the story it turned out to be, and I'm feeling the same sensation with this one, so I hope the story repeats itself and we all enjoy the outcome. Enjoy this chapter! ;)**

**IT'S NEVER TOO LATE**

**: Chapter 4 – Tough Decision:**

I thought waking up this morning would be harder, but I took courage and followed Spencer's advice. 'Today is going to be a great day.' I've been saying those eight words to myself since I left the apartment and headed to the office. The cold air outside helps me to liven up. Now I just need a black coffee to completely wake up. I get to work and I say hello to the receptionist. She has a contagious smile. I love the kind of people that make your life nicer and more bearable with only a simple gesture. I walk along the corridor and open the office door. Paige is already sitting at her desk and looking at the computer, a thoughtful expression on her face.

"Hi," she says. That came out of nowhere. I didn't think she would say anything at all after everything that happened yesterday. Well, better said, after how she treated me yesterday although I wanted to get along with her.

"Hi," I respond, without energy in my voice and avoiding her gaze. I will ignore her, that's the best defense I can think of. I sit down and turn the computer on.

"So… you met my dad yesterday," she says out of nowhere. I knew she only said hi to me with ulterior motives. I can't help but look at her. I hate that I find her so sexy although she's treating me like shit. I'm not a teenager anymore, but these feelings won't go away and it's hurtful.

"Yes, I did." I can't guess what she's thinking by looking at her and that gets me more nervous.

"And I guess you didn't know who he was. Am I right?" She doesn't smile, but I'm pretty sure she's having a good time by mocking at me. That was embarrassing and she knows it. I would love to tell her to shut the fuck up, but that's what she wants, so I decide to ignore her instead. I start analyzing the blueprint I worked on yesterday. However, I'm pretty sure the anger that's building inside me will eventually explode and I don't want that to happen. "You were right, I was wrong. We should work together." My concentration focuses on her now. 'Is she trying to apologize?' "I mean, I guess you came here to learn from the best and I want your internship to be satisfying." She doesn't look away, she keeps her gaze fixated on me, like she's defying me, trying to test my patience.

I take a deep breath, it doesn't work though. She clearly wants to fuck with my head. I feel rage coming out of every pore of my body.

"You know what?" I ask, looking her in the eye. She keeps staring at me. "Fuck you." Her jaw almost drops, she didn't see this coming. I don't care if I get fired because of this, I'm not going to put up with this torture. I'm sick of her. I stand up and leave the office really pissed off. I lock myself in the restroom. I sigh and try to breath sitting on the toilet with my head between my thighs. I hear the noise of the door impacting against the frame, meaning someone entered the restroom. I decide to stay in silence and wait until that person leaves so I can have a quiet moment.

"Emily?" It's Paige. I don't say a word. She's the last person I want to see right now. "I know you're there." Is it so difficult to understand that I don't want to see her?

"Fuck off!" The anger that was already fading away comes back.

"I'm sorry. I really am. I'm an asshole. Come out, please."

"Why? So you can keep on tormenting me? I'm done." I hear her sighing. I open the door and get out, not because she said so. I just need to tell her a few things that have been going on my mind since I left the office.

"I'm so sorry," she says once I'm standing in front of her, a stern look on my face. She's looking down, she seems truly repentant, but I can't keep doing this.

"Actually, you know what?" I raise my voice and I get her attention, she is looking me in the eye. I suddenly see her sad eyes and I feel butterflies in my stomach. Her sweet perfume and her sole existence make me feel this way and I can't do anything to avoid it. I feel like shit. "I'm going to quit right now. I'm going to your dad's office and say that I don't want to keep working here. I won't tell him why I'm leaving, though. I just want to let you out of sight. This is what you wanted since you saw me, right?" She stares at me in silence, she obviously can't defend herself. "I have a good résumé and I can find a job where I'm treated like a human being," I add, and I suddenly feel better. I didn't change my life so I would end up feeling like shit again. I already suffered enough, I'm done with that. "Happy?" I end saying, finishing my speech. When I'm about to turn around and head the door to leave, I feel her hand reaching mine.

"No, I want you to stay, please." Her big brown eyes and pretty face were enough to make me nervous, but feeling her touch is too much. I flush and I feel weak. My muscles don't respond. She doesn't let her hand go, and I admit it feels really good. "I'm really sorry. I know I have no excuse, but I'm a jerk and I can't help it. It's not personal, I'm just a wreck. Just give me another chance, please." She's my kryptonite, I've been wounded, and it sucks that I'm so vulnerable no matter how she behaves.

"This is your last chance!" I warn her. She lets my hand go and I don't like that feeling. Her skin is really soft. I make my way to the office and I hear her steps following me. I sit down on my chair and I see that she brings her closer to mine.

"What are you doing?" I ask, but she's already sitting next to me.

She looks surprised. "Isn't teamwork supposed to be like this?" I don't know if my heart will bear so many emotions. I had a meltdown and now she's sitting a few inches from me and I can smell her and feel her breathing. This is going to kill me. "May I?" she asks, pointing at my sketches. I nod at her. It's like I'm talking to a different person. This is weird.

"This is good," she adds, still concentrated on my designs. I, on the other hand, can't help staring at her beauty.

"Can I ask you something?" She nods, but doesn't look at me. It looks like she's stuck on the project and she didn't hear my question. "What were you doing in Istanbul?" She suddenly turns her head and frowns at me.

"I don't know what you're talking about." I can't believe she's trying to hide our little accident at the airport.

"I saw you at the airport, two days ago. I bumped into you at the duty-free store."

"It wasn't me. Maybe it was someone who looked like me." I shake my head, of course it was her.

"I know it was you. It's impossible to forget about your face." The moment that last sentence comes out of my mouth, I realize I made a mistake, a rookie mistake. It's true, her face has been stuck on my mind since I met her. However, saying that was not very intelligent. My cheeks get a little bit pink. I couldn't be more obvious.

"That's impossible. Forget about that. Besides, that's my personal life, so stay out of it. I'm not here to make friends." She got defensive more quickly than I anticipated. I don't know what it's going on with her, her bipolarity is going to make me go crazy.

"I already have good friends. Even if I didn't, I would prefer to be alone than with you as a friend," I add harshly. She looks a little bit disappointed, it's like my comment hurt her. All of a sudden, she stands up and leaves without giving any explanation. I'm not going to feel bad because of what I said. She was the first one being mean to me, so I didn't do anything bad. I continue working until lunch time. I can't help but think about her, I must be the stupidest person on the planet. She doesn't deserve that kind of attention. I look at my watch and decide to go visit Hanna and leave the office for ten minutes so I can get the sandwich myself. I need to get some air, even if it's only going to be five minutes. Seeing Hanna's smile makes me forget about Paige for a few seconds.

"How is your day going?" she asks, even if I know she really wants to know about Paige.

"Better than yesterday." I'm not lying, but it's not the truth either. I mean, things aren't good between the two of us, but I don't want to give her more information because I really need to continue working if I want to finish something I've been working on all day. I want to do the weekly shopping, go for a run, have a shower and relax watching TV. Besides, Spencer is working until late, so I have the day to myself. "Thanks, Han." I hand her a ten dollar bill and smile at her. "Keep the change." She winks at me, says thank you and I leave the diner.

I enter the office and sit in front of the computer. I start checking on the e-mails some of the clients sent and leave the sandwich next to some papers. Something placed behind those papers catches my attention. There's a small cardboard box and a piece of paper placed next to it. I stretch out my arm and take the box with my right hand. The note says 'I'm sorry' and there's also an address written on it. Paige did this, and although this was nice, I'm sick of her apologies. I can't accept them if she continues doing stupid things afterwards. She's deadly wrong if she thinks I'm so naive. However, when I open the box and see what's inside, I feel shivers down my spine. There are two pieces of baklava, those Turkish sweets that I so much enjoyed in the city I met her. She remembered what the boxes I was carrying when I bumped her contained, and I guess this is a way of admitting that she remembers about me, even if she denied it only a few hours ago. I hate her, but this is kind of cute. I feel like she's playing with my feelings, and I don't like that. However, I have to admit it's exciting at the same time. I eat the sandwich and then the baklavas while I search the address she wrote on the Internet. It's a pub named Heaven and it's close to Spencer's apartment. However, I don't know when I'm supposed to go there. I flip the note and I see more hints: 9 PM. I spend the rest of the hours before I leave the office thinking about what I'm going to do. I hate to admit it's really tempting, but I don't think meeting her outside the office will improve our working relationship. And considering everything that has been going on, I think I should focus on work and forget about the woman who is responsible of making my life a living hell these last two days. I can make an exception, though. Right?

**To be continued…**


	5. Chapter 5: Wasted

**Good night, guys! :) Here's the next chapter. Even though it's a little bit shorter than usual, this was fun to right, so I know you will love it. I don't know when I will be able to publish the next chapter, 'cause next week I will have zero time, but I'll do my best. English is not my mother tongue, so I apologize for my mistakes in advance. Let me know your thoughts about this story. It really motivates me to keep writing.**

**Sheirome: Thank you so much! This kind of support is the one that makes me want to keep on developing an interesting storyline.**

**Rudy Maro: Hahaha. I hope this is not the cause of death for you. I don't want to mess with your health. :D Anyway, you will have mixed feelings and I think you'll love it. This chapter is really important to define the course of the story and things will get more interesting from now on. :)**

**Guest: I'm glad you like it so far. Let's see if I can get improving. ;)**

**MJ: You didn't have to wait a lot, right? xD My imagination is not as good, it's really not. I just spend a lot of time thinking about different scenarios and storylines and then choose the ones that make the story more addictive. It's a long process for me, so my imagination could be way better. Anyway, thank you so much for your praise. It feels good, indeed. :D Both of the girls are like ticking time-bombs, that's way it's so funny that they keep behaving like that. I honestly think Emily is being nice and patient taking into consideration the way Paige is acting. She has a limited patience though. :D I'm glad you love it, because that means the story is developing correctly. ;) Have a nice weekend! PD: focus on your homework. LOL**

**Alexzmc: Paige is a little bit mysterious, and I already figured out what is really going on with her. But I don't want to spoil you or you'll stop reading. ;) My first language is Spanish, I'm from Spain. :)**

**Thank you so much for everything. :) Enjoy! :D**

**IT'S NEVER TOO LATE**

**: Chapter 5 – Wasted:**

I'm walking around the apartment, thinking about what I'm going to do about that note she left on my desk. I already had dinner and it's already 9 PM, the exact time she wrote on the paper that I'm holding and staring at right now. Spencer is still working and she won't be home for about three hours, so I need to decide if I want to stay home alone or be with the beautiful woman that captivated me in spite of her rudeness. I walk towards the paper bin, I get rid of the note, I get my purse and leave the apartment without thinking of the consequences. Sometimes it's better to forget about second thoughts and do what your guts tell you to do. And in this case, I'm dying to see her, so I don't have any other choice. Once on the street, I walk tall and with a spring on my step. The pub I was supposed to meet her is only a few blocks from the apartment. Before opening the door of the pub, I look from outside, searching for the person I came to see. There are a few people having a drink and sitting on some tables. There's only one person sitting on a stool at the bar. I head over there and sit next to her, but I don't say a word. She wanted to meet me, so I guess she has to break the ice. I turn my head to the left to look at her, and she smiles shyly. She looks beautiful. She's not wearing make-up, she doesn't need it though. The tight jeans and black blouse that she's wearing make my heart pound faster. It's actually a simple outfit, she doesn't need anything else to look sexy though.

"I didn't think you'd come." I think it's the first time I see her smile at me, and it makes me melt.

"I was curious," I add, and I'm being honest.

"Thank you for coming. I hope this is a fresh start for the two of us. I'm so glad that you accepted this job." She looks happy, relaxed and more talkative.

"Really?" I add, a surprise hint on my voice. "I thought you hated me."

"How could anyone hate you?" Her smirk makes me flush. I'm not imagining things, she's flirting with me. I mean, I'm not going crazy, right? "I don't trust people. That's my problem. However, I like you." And the blush invades my face again.

"By the way, thank you for your gift. It was delicious." I change the subject. That was really nice of her and made my day.

"It wasn't very hard to know that you liked those. I remember you buying a thousand boxes of them." I laugh when she mentions my little incident at the airport.

"Then, why did you tell me you didn't remember me at the airport?" I am curious about this, I don't get why she lied about it.

Her witty smile makes it difficult to stop staring at her beautiful face and captivating eyes. "Because I'm a moron. That's why. It's… I don't know, I always push people way." Her shyness is really cute.

"Can I ask what were you doing in Turkey?"

"I needed to clear my head, just forget about my problems and traveling always works for me. How about you?"

"The same. I was going through a personal crisis and I needed time alone."

"And your body needed to eat sweet things too. Am I right? That always helps in difficult times." I nod at her with a huge smile on my face. I didn't expect she could be funny. And I've always had a weakness for girls that make me smile.

She takes a sip of her drink and calls the bartender. "Hey, Jimmy!" The young man smiles when he sees Paige is the one that pronounced his name. "What are you having?" she asks me, with that sexy voice of hers.

"A beer would be nice," I add, trying to avoid my cheeks going red again.

"Could you please get this beautiful woman a beer?" He laughs loudly. It seems like they know each other. This is not the Paige that I met a few days ago. I think she's a little bit tipsy, that's why she's acting like this. "And another shot of whisky for me, sir."

Jimmy hands me the beer and holds Paige's arm. "Don't you think you've had enough?" I was right then. She's drunk. Now I get why she's being so nice to me.

"Are you my dad now?" she jokes, but Jimmy's facial expression serious suddenly gets serious.

"This is the last one. I don't want you to end like yesterday." I suddenly feel bad for her. So she got drunk yesterday too.

"You know, you're a partypooper, Jimmy." She smiles at him, but he is not in the mood to give her an answer.

"Why are you drinking so much, Paige?" I look her in the eye and I see her drunkenness more clearly now. She will probably get defensive and mad at me, but I can't bear seeing her like this. Suddenly she doesn't look as happy as before. She gulps the whole drink and looks away.

"We all have our problems. I came to have fun, don't ruin it." She frowns at me.

"I care about you. That's why I'm asking you if there's something going on. Is there anything I could do?" I'm trying to be nice, but I realize alcohol is taking control of her personality and I have a feeling I won't like what's going to happen next.

"You don't know me. You don't have to lie. You don't give a shit about me." Rude Paige is here again. I know how this will end, so I just ignore her, leave some money on the counter and get my things to leave the pub.

"Don't, please," she begs me, those big sad puppy eyes staring at me.

"You're drunk, Paige. I can't keep having this conversation anymore, because I know how it will end and I don't want that to happen. This was supposed to be a fresh start." She keeps staring at me with a sad facial expression. "If you don't want me to leave, then you'll have to do something for me." She nods at me, she seems ready to do as told. "I will bring you to your place and you will sleep it off. You need to rest. So…" She unexpectedly interrupts me.

"You're right. I need to rest." I didn't see this coming, and it kind of feels good. "I need to go to the restroom and then we can leave." I feel the satisfaction a mother must feel when her wayward son behaves well. This is a victory.

I finish my beer as I wait for Paige to come out of the restroom. Jimmy approaches me and I pay the bill he hands me.

"I don't really know if you're her friend, but she needs help. Working in a bar gives you the capacity to realize when someone is troubled. I spend all day talking to people that tell me their problems. It's like I was their psychologist. I have come to understand people's problems: alcoholism, depression, low self-esteem…" He takes a breath and continues with his speech. "What I'm trying to say is that Paige is not an alcoholic, she feels alone. She needs a friend. I'm not forcing you to be that friend she so desperately needs, I know her and she can be a jerk. But she's an adorable person and I'd love if you gave her the opportunity to get to know the most human client I've had in years." He takes the money and leaves like nothing had happened. I'm speechless. I don't know if she feels alone or what problems she may have, but I don't like that he told me that. What am I supposed to do know?

"I'm ready," I hear a voice saying. She approaches me and I realize that she's drunker than I thought by her unsteady walk. She was sitting on the stool since the moment I entered the pub, but now I can clearly see that she has way too much alcohol on her blood. I can't help but find her sexy despite her intoxication. I have to stop thinking like this.

Once we're out, she keeps walking staggered, she barely maintains balance. I walk next to her, maintaining a security distance. It actually seems we are strangers. I don't want to touch her, even if she could lean on me to make her lack of balance more bearable. I know she might be bothered and I don't want to make things worse. I prefer to just walk with her till we get to her place and then leave. I don't want to force things and look desperate. Even though she doesn't really know I like her, I want to act like an honest person. My only mission here is to get her safely to her place and go back to Spencer's. My goal suddenly gets complicated when a young man approaches her, not knowing I'm with her, and that she isn't alone.

"Hey, gorgeous! Are you lost?" He gets really close to Paige. I hate people that try to benefit from other's weakness. She ignores him and keeps walking, but he doesn't desist. "Do you want to come to my place? I have beer and a surprise for you."

"Leave me alone," she adds, trying to avoid his persistence.

"Why? Do you have a boyfriend? He doesn't need to know anything about tonight, you know." Suddenly he holds her waist. That's when I decide to intervene. I won't allow this.

"Hey! Stop!" I look him in the eye, with the intention of intimidating him. But when I see his crooked smile I realize that he won't let her go. He's still holding her from the waist.

"Who are you? Her bodyguard?" His grin disgusts me.

"Fuck off!" I raise my voice, boiling blood rushing all over my body. I push him and I suddenly feel fear. What if he attacks me? I couldn't let him do that, but his anger look makes my heart beat strongly. "If you don't go away I'll call the cops," I add, as I show him my cell, drawing courage from God knows where. He gives me a hatred look and luckily leaves. I see him distance from us, but my heart keeps pounding furiously.

"Thank you," Paige adds shyly, avoiding my gaze. "It wasn't my intention to get you into trouble and you…"

"You didn't do anything wrong, okay?" I interrupt her. I get closer to her and I can see she's feeling a little bit ashamed. She's not as happy as she was a few minutes ago. The effect of alcohol must be decreasing. "Now forget about that and try to focus because you need to remember where you live," I joke, trying to improve the situation. A shy smile appears on her face. We walk in silence for five minutes and we get to a nice building. She takes the keys from her purse but doesn't manage to open the door due to her drunkenness. I help her with the door and we get inside the elevator. Once we get to the tenth floor, she points at a door and mumbles something unintelligible. I guess she's trying to tell me that's the door of entrance. She tries to open the door, but she fails again, making it obvious she's really wasted. She looks at me and I take a few steps forward to help her open the door of the apartment. She gets inside and turns around to look at me, a few inches separating us. Obviously, she won't let me in, but she's staring at me like she's waiting for me to say something.

"Drink a lot of water and sleep." Giving her an advice is not the most appropriate thing to do at this moment, but my nervousness makes me say those words. It makes me feel like I'm her mom. My mom would have told me those exact words. That was not very intelligent.

She takes a step closer and a few seconds later she's hugging me. I just stand there, my heart about to explode. "Thanks, Emily. I won't forget this," she whispers in my ear, her husky voice sending shivers down my spine. She gets inside her apartment and closes the door, like what happened was nothing. I guess alcohol made her hug me, but that doesn't subtract from the fact that she was kind of affectionate to me. I stand in front of the door for a few minutes, my mind still wondering if what just happened was a dream. I hope, like she said, she doesn't forget what I did and the alcohol doesn't ruin the good feelings I had tonight. Life is full of surprises.

**To be continued…**

**Stay tuned! ;)**


	6. Chapter 6: A Fresh Start

**Good night, guys! :) I'm sorry about the delay, I've been sick and I wasn't in the mood to anything but sleep and rest. :D Anyway, I'm already feeling better, so I decided an update was the best way to end this weekend. :) As you already know, English is not my mother tongue, so I apologize for my mistakes in advance. Let me know your thoughts about this story. It really motivates me to keep writing.**

**Alexzmc: Muchas gracias! ****Nada de spoilers, entendido. xD Un abrazo. ;)**

**Guest #1: Hahaha. You're clearly in love with both of them. It's funny that you're the only one that's not taking sides. You just love them both. Good for you! xD Thank you so much! I'm glad you like the story. :)**

**Guest #2: Thanks! The wait is over. ;)**

**Guest #3: I knew you'd love this chapter, because we can see another side of Paige, a nice one. Hahaha. After the cute moments between the two of them, this chapter has more angst though. I'm sorry about that. xD**

**MJ: LOL So funny! This chapter was supposed to make you feel like that. Yeah, I do have thoughts for days. I'm serious. xD I guess that makes me a weirdo. Hahaha. That's my working process though. This chapter will make you have different feelings. I won't say anything more. :D Enjoy this one!**

**IJim: Thank you so much! It makes me feel good a lot of you enjoy with the story. **

**Thank you so much for everything. :) Enjoy! :D**

**IT'S NEVER TOO LATE**

**: Chapter 6 – A Fresh Start:**

It's 6 in the morning. I couldn't sleep last night. My mind couldn't stop thinking about what had happened with Paige. I just couldn't close my eyes and fall asleep. I kept thinking about the woman that's going to ruin my life if I don't start setting limits. And that means that I only have to think about her like my work colleague, nothing else. After last night, that is going to be tough to achieve, though. I saw another side of her. She was drunk, but her sense of humor and that captivating smile is somehow part of her, even if she tries to hide it in front of me. I need to assume I'm starting to fall for her, and I know these feelings will end up hurting me, because what I really want of her won't ever happen.

When I got to the apartment last night, Spencer hadn't gotten home yet and I couldn't talk to anyone about this. I heard the door when she got home, but I didn't want to keep her listening to my stupid problems. Logically, she would want to rest. That's why I need to speak with someone about all this mess that have been bothering me all night. It won't help the situation, but talking always helps a little bit. So, instead of staying at bed, I jump into the shower, get dressed and I decide I will go have breakfast to The Brew. Hanna starts her shift at six and I know there are not a lot of customers until seven or so. I already texted her and she told me she was heading over there.

When I enter the diner, I see that there's only a man having a breakfast that looks delicious while reading the paper. I look at the counter and I see Hanna drinking a cup of coffee. She seems relaxed. I approach the counter and take a seat on one of the many available stools.

"I was going to say good morning, but now that I see those dark circles under the eyes, I think I'm going to pass."

"Thank you so much for your nice words, Han," I add sarcastically, making her laugh loudly.

"Are you sick or something? Trouble sleeping? What's up, Em?"

"Last night I met her at a bar and then I had to walk with her to her place 'cause she was really drunk. She was nice to me, she even smiled at me. It was… I mean… I think I like her." Saying those last words wasn't as easy as I thought. But that's the truth, right? I like her, although she sometimes is hurtful to me. Hanna is paying attention at every word that comes out of my mouth, totally concentrated on the conversation.

"Wow! Just wow!"

"Is that everything you're going to say? I need you opinion about this. My mind is a fucking disaster. Am I going crazy?" I raise my voice, not intentionally. The only client at the diner looks daggers at me. I guess yelling is not very pleasant so early in the morning.

"How did that happen? I mean, was it a date?" She obviously has a lot of doubts about our odd encounter.

"That's a long story." I sigh. "Well, she was rude to me again and then left the office. When I got there after having lunch here, there was a present and a note on my desk. The note said that she would be at some bar at 9 PM. I guess she was trying to apologize, that's all. Definitely not a date." She grins at me. "What?"

"I don't know if that's a date, but she wants something, Em. I wouldn't invite somebody to have a drink with me if I don't have an interest on that particular person. Don't you think?" Spencer is the official brain amongst us, but Hanna is the one you need to talk if you have a romantic or friendship issue. I love that about her. Although this time I don't think she's right about my problem.

"Do I need to remind you she has treated me like shit since I started this new job? If she wants to be my friend, then she needs to improve her social skills," I add jokingly. Hanna hands me a huge cup of coffee, even though I didn't ask for it. She knows me really well and caffeine is something I really need right now.

"I don't know her yet, but with the information I have, I'm pretty sure she is crazy about you. When I like someone I usually ignore him so he doesn't know I'm into him." A look of surprise appears on my face. "I know what you're thinking," she adds, smiling at me. "It's stupid, but I can't help it. I've always been a jerk in front of the boys that I liked. Maybe she's as stupid as I am," she jokes.

"She's really stupid, I assure you that." We both laugh. "But after last night…" I sigh as I remember her smile, her big brown eyes, her sweet perfume. "I guess my feelings for her are clearer now. She doesn't behave so nicely every day, though. I don't think I've felt so messed up ever." I take a deep breath and she keeps drinking her coffee.

"I think you're falling for the drunk side of her, not the sober one," she jokes. "You could bring her a few beers to the office so she behaves like a decent person." We both laugh loudly. I feel lost yet, but this is really helping me. I knew having a talk with Hanna would be a good decision. A good laugh is always therapeutic.

She takes another sip of coffee and I realize she suddenly is not looking at me. "A client just arrived. Just a minute, ok?" she says nicely. I end the cup of coffee and I take a look at the menu. After I weigh the different options, I decide to have orange juice, another cup of coffee to stay awake for at least two hours and pancakes. When she comes back, I point at my choice and nods at me. She gets inside the kitchen and tells the cook about my choice, then hands James the note of the order she must have taken the other client.

Once outside the kitchen, she fills her cup of coffee and takes a sip of it. "I had to Sexy Shakespeare's order, but I'm here again." She smiles at me, even more when she sees me frowning. "I guess you need an explanation, right?" She is obviously having a good time teasing me. "There's this young woman that gets here at 6:30 every day and orders the same breakfast, then takes a book of her purse and starts reading till she leaves. James, the cook, gave her that nickname because of her love of reading and her looks. You know I don't like girls, but I'd do her without a doubt." She grins at me. "She's hot, and she has that mysterious hint, you know." I can't help but turn around to look at that girl after hearing Hanna's description. The woman I see seating at the table is the one that's guilty for my lack of sleep. I stare at her, but she's so concentrated on the book that she doesn't notice I'm right here. All of a sudden, she raises her head and I feel her big brown eyes looking at me. I smile shyly, but she ignores my gesture and continues reading. I go back to my previous position so I'm turning my back on her. She made it clear that she doesn't want anything to do with me. Hanna may be right and I must be falling for the drunk version of Paige.

"Fuck!" I say, to Hanna's surprise. "It's her."

"Who?" Hanna asks, looking everywhere, although the only two clients inside the premises are the man and Paige.

"That's Paige."

"Sexy Shakespeare?" I nod at her, Hanna's jaw dropping open. I'm not in the mood to laugh at this moment, but her nickname is kind of funny. "Holy shit!"

"Stop looking at her. She doesn't deserve our attention," I add sadly, making Hanna frown at me.

"Why do you say that?"

"Didn't you see that she didn't even look at me? I mean, I'm not expecting a hug or anything like that, but a simple 'hello' or 'good morning' would be nice. Yesterday I helped her when she most needed and now she just looks away. I'm done." The rage is growing inside me. She reacted like she didn't know me at all, and that is just rude, even for her.

"You're absolutely right," Hanna agrees with me. "She's sexy, but her manners leave much to be desired. Just forget about her," she advises me.

"I work next to her. That will be really tough. Besides, I can't stop thinking about her. I hate this situation." I leave the fork on the plate angrily, making a little bit of noise.

"I know it's not easy, but you need to focus on your work and forget that she's right next to you. You must be strong, Em," Hanna adds, squeezing my hand at the same time.

"Thank you, Hanna," I say, appreciating her total support.

I see Hanna's eyes focus on the door again. "Wow! Another sexy creature entering the diner," she says, an impish smile on her face. I don't turn around to look, even if I'm curious I just don't want to exchange looks with Paige. Hanna is staring at that person, and I guess it's a boy, because she's practically drooling. "And… he's taken too. Damn it!" she sadly exclaims. "Don't turn around, but the sexy boy is hugging your crush. And they seem really affectionate to each other. I guess she's stupid and straight too. My theory was wrong, Em. I'm sorry, but you deserve better. You're a catch!" she exclaims, making me smile shyly. However, the realization of Paige having a boyfriend crushes me inside. I don't know why I'm feeling like this, 'cause even if she was gay, she's not worth it, just like Hanna said. Nevertheless, I just had this hope that she really was the nice and funny woman that I met yesterday at the pub and that she was flirting with me. It was obviously a wrong perception. Clearly my mind was messing with my feelings, my imagination fucked me off.

"Can't you please stop looking at them, Hanna?" My disappointment is finally becoming a reality and I'm projecting all my irritation onto my friend.

"I'm sorry, Em. He's hot."

I suddenly realize I was a little bit rude to her. "It's okay. You don't need to apologize. I'm sorry, Hanna. I feel like shit." I'm striving to keep back my tears. She holds my hand and looks me in the eye.

"You're strong, Em. Now go to work and kick some ass, okay? And if you feel like it, we can meet to have dinner later and drink a few beers."

"That would be nice, Hanna. Thank you so much. See you later." She winks at me, a gesture that's so her.

When I pass by the table she's sitting at, I try to not look at them, but my curiosity makes that impossible. I see he's holding her hands that are resting on the table and that she seems happy with him. I also realize he's really attractive, so I understand Hanna's reaction now. Paige suddenly raises her head to look at me and I look away. I have to stop thinking about her that way. Just like Hanna said, I have to see her as my work colleague, nothing else. Even if it's going to be really hard, I have a feeling it will make me feel better eventually. I need to escape this nonsense spiral that she got me into.

…

Once I'm at the office, I perform my daily routine: I turn on the computer, I check the e-mails and I dig into the project. I've come to understand focusing in my work is one of the only ways of forgetting about her existence. When she enters the office wearing those jeans that seem were made for her sculptural body, my concentration fades on her hotness.

"Good morning," she adds shyly. How come she has the nerve to say those words when she ignored me a few minutes ago? Is she trying to mock me again? I don't even look at her, even less talk to her. With the intention of avoiding another fight, I grab my earphones, plug them on the computer and hit the 'play' button so the music starts filling my ears. I turn up the music so I pretend I'm the only one at this office. I guess having the music so loud is not healthy. I don't care though, if this helps me to focus on anything but her. This way, if she speaks to me, I won't hear what she wants to tell me. Besides, I already have all the information I need from her to keep working on the project, so our lack of interaction won't be a problem at all. It's genious.

When I finally am totally focused on the blueprints in front of me, a touch startles me, making me jump from my seat. I turn my head to look who touched me and I take the earphones off. A laugh escapes from her mouth.

"What the fuck?" I add, angrily. Her smile suddenly disappears.

"Is something wrong? Are you okay?"

"How could you…? I mean…" I can't find the words to express my rage. "Are you worried about me now? Why don't you make up your mind? Just leave me alone and I will be just fine," I exclaim, raising my voice gradually.

She seems clueless. It's like she doesn't get why I reacted like that. "So working as a team is not a priority anymore? I think you're the one who needs to make up her mind," she answers sassily.

"Come on! Are you serious?" She's acting like nothing happened and that makes me even more furious. "First you treated me like shit and said you didn't need to make friends, then you invited me for a drink, I helped you because you're too wasted to even get home and this morning you don't even look at me, like I was some kind of stranger. Who needs to make up her mind now, huh?" Her cockiness disappears all of a sudden. She also blushes, I didn't expect this reaction.

"I didn't say anything at the diner because I was ashamed of what happened last night, okay? I am not proud of it and you shouldn't have seen that," she adds, looking down at the floor.

She's playing with me again, but I won't let her words affect me. She's just a work colleague and I don't have to bear her emotional issues. "Anyway, I don't know why you're telling me this, 'cause I'm not your friend, remember?" I add harshly. She frowns at me, a look of disappointment plastered on her face. I'm just doing what I should have done since the moment I started working here. Focus on work and ignore her. That's the best thing I can do to keep myself out of problems.

I put the earphones on again and dig into my passion, architecture. 'She will hurt you,' I keep saying to myself, trying to erase her from my mind. I may need an exorcism to get her out of my head. This won't be easy.

**To be continued…**

**Stay tuned! ;)**


	7. Chapter 7: Don't Give Up

**Good night, guys! :) I'm sorry about the delay, a lot of things happening in my life and I barely had time to focus on anything, even less the story. Anyway, there may be a few mistakes because I wrote this chapter faster than ever. New world record! xD I'm sorry about that. I hope you didn't forget about me and this story and you're still interested in reading this fanfic. Thank you, guys! :D**

**MJ: You were asking where the love was. Okay… so… keep reading. xD I understand you were frustrated about their relationship. This chapter is nicer though. :) Thanks for your nice words! Take care. :)**

**Alexzmc: I finally updated! Yay! I'm sorry, my life is hectic at this moment. Anyway, enjoy this one. Un abrazo! ;)**

**Enjoy! :D**

**IT'S NEVER TOO LATE**

**: Chapter 7 – Don't Give Up:**

I've been ignoring her for a few days, only talking to her about work stuff. I avoid looking her in the eye, making it easier for me to be serious about my decision to interact with her only when strictly necessary. It's getting harder though, she keeps being friendly and talking to me with a shy smile on her face. I, however, try to avoid eye contact and focus on work. Everyday has been like that since I stopped talking to her, already fed up with her attitude towards me. I feel she wants to make me change my mind about her, she's trying really hard. I have been determined and consistent with my decision to ignore her. But I have the feeling this morning everything will change when I see her enter the office. She has puffy eyes and looks exhausted. Our eyes meet, but I don't say a word moved by my pride. She takes a seat but doesn't even turn the computer on. She just sighs. Something is wrong.

"Are you okay?" I finally ask, breaking my silence towards her. I can't ignore her right now. She seems really hurt.

"I'm fine. Thank you," she adds, not meeting my eyes and obviously lying. I've known her for only a few weeks, but I already feel like I know her really well and I know she's too much pride to admit she's not feeling okay.

"Are you sure?" I insist. I'm actually worried about her. I know she's been crying just by looking at her eye redness.

"It's nothing. Thank you though." The tone of her voice is friendly. Even if she's not obviously feeling fine she's being nice, and that makes me want to know what's going on even more. She seems weaker than I have ever seen her, I would happily hug her. I continue with the project in hand, I don't want to push her, she needs her space. I look at her from the corner of my eye and realize she's just staring at the computer screen, although she didn't turn it on yet. All of a sudden, she stands up and picks up her belongings, her coat included. "I need to leave. If you need me just call, okay?" She hands me a little piece of paper with a cellphone number on it. I look at her, but she avoids my gaze, her sad eyes staring at the floor.

"Hey!" I say just a few seconds before she opens the door to leave the office. She turns around and now looks me in the eye. "Take care, okay?" She fakes a smile, but I appreciate that small gesture.

"Thank you, Emily."

After what happened with Paige, I can barely concentrate all day. I attended a meeting with the client and I missed her, because she's always there to make things smoother with the client's requests. It's like she has that kind of power on people. She hasn't been the nicest person with me, but I recently realized she is good with people when she has to deal with work stuff. That's why I've come to think she has a gift to make people feel good, although she doesn't apply those skills on her personal life. Even if her lack of presence at the meeting is a palpable difference, I handle every doubt and question reasonably well given the circumstances. Concentrating on the meeting was harder because of what happened early in the morning, but it went better than expected and it was a good thing in order to gain confidence. Nevertheless, once I return to my desk, my thoughts go to the girl that was supposed to be seating right next to me. I look at her desk and then take a look at my watch. Today I came one hour earlier because I couldn't sleep, so I can already leave the office. I will work on the documentation I have to prepare for the client tomorrow. I'm exhausted and my focus is elsewhere, so it doesn't make any sense to stay here. I grab my purse and coat and make my way to the door. I abruptly stop walking when I remember about the note she gave me. I would love to call her to ask if she's okay. However, I was only supposed to call her if something work related happened. She would probably take the call as an invasion of her privacy, but I can't help it. I keep staring at the piece of paper for a few seconds, and I finally decide to go back and take it. I grab the paper and keep it in my pocket like it was the most valuable thing in the world. When I get home, I leave everything on my bed and I take my phone and the note out of my pocket. I take a deep breath, press the number written on it and then push the 'Call' button. When I hear her voice words don't come out of my mouth and I get out of breath.

"Who is this?" she asks after hearing nothing but my silence.

"Paige… I… uhmmm…" I start saying, not being able to properly form a sentence. I hate that she makes me feel this way. I don't like feeling weak.

"Emily?" I sense a hint of surprise in her voice.

"Yes, it's me," I mumble. "I know I shouldn't be calling you, but I just wanted to know you're okay," I say, eager to know her reaction.

"It's okay, Emily. It's nice knowing that somebody takes care of me." I didn't expect this answer, and it's really satisfying. "I'm better. Thank you for calling."

"I'm glad you're okay. So…" After a brief moment of feeling hesitant, I ask her the question that's been on my mind since this morning. "Do you need anything? I mean, i there's anything I could do to…" She interrupts my sentence and I honestly feel relieved she did, because I was going to start to ramble.

"Actually… I would love to see you." I swear my heart stopped pumping. This is not happening.

"Really? Now?"

"If you feel like it. I mean…"

"Of course I want to see you." Shit, I couldn't be more obvious, but my feelings about her escaped from my mouth.

I hear a small laugh on the other side of the phone. "I was thinking about having dinner at my place. What do you think about that?" Okay, I'm going to die. She just invited me to her place. I can't think of any other plan that can make my day more perfect.

"That's great. What time do you want me there?" I'm going to explode from happiness.

"In an hour, if that's okay with you."

"That's perfect. I'll be there. See you, Paige."

"Bye, Emily." I love when she says my name.

Once I end the call, I leave the phone on the bed and start jumping joyfully like I was a teenager. Then I jump into the shower, I get dressed and I leave the apartment only five minutes before the agreed meeting time.

"So punctual," she says when she opens the door. She smiles at me. "Thank you for coming," she adds just before hugging me. I didn't see this coming, and her sweet perfume and touch makes my legs tremble. I obviously blush. "Come in."

"Thank you," I politely say. I take a look at the apartment and I realize I love it. It's really simple, with not too many colors on the walls, floors and decoration. But the place smells so good and it's so clean that makes me want to live there. It's not that Spencer's place is dirty, she's the most cleanliness obsessed person I've ever known, but I have to admit this is just perfect. I admit I felt in love with the place and the person that lives in it.

"You can leave the coat over there."

"Okay."

I take a seat on the couch and she sits next to me. She looks exhausted, but I can see she's not in that bad shape.

"I know you're curious about what is going on with me, and I get that you're worried. It's not that I don't trust you. I will tell you eventually, but I don't want to talk about that right now, okay?" I nod at her. I would agree to everything she said if she talked so close to me. Her smell and niceness are so mesmerizing that I can't keep looking at her.

"It's okay. I just want to help you, that's all," I admit.

She smiles at me. "I get it. Your company is everything I need right now. So you're actually helping me." I can't help but blush to her flirty comment.

She jumps from the couch and points at the kitchen. "By the way, I made dinner." A grin invades her perfect face.

"You didn't need to do that, Paige."

"Cooking makes my stress go away, so it was a win win situation."

"It smells great. Thank you."

She heads to the dining room in order to set the table. She took the trouble to cook a delicious meal. I don't think that because I like her, she's actually a great cook. After enjoying a perfect meal, we decide to watch a movie. She has a huge collection of DVDs, but we decide to watch a comedy because it's the kind of genre that will make her feel better. However, only ten minutes after turning the DVD on, she falls asleep, her head resting on my shoulder. I hear her breathing and her delicious smell fills my nostrils, making me want to cuddle with her. I put a blanket covering her body, turn the TV off and leave the apartment so she can sleep, because she needs it badly.

I get home with a huge smile on my face and I decide to go to bed. It's a little bit late and today was a day full of emotions that left me with no energy. Besides, I can't think of a better way to end this day.

The next day, when I wake up, I eat breakfast while checking my cellphone. There's a text that gets my attention because of who the sender is. Even if it's really early in the morning, I get the feeling today will be a great day just by reading the following words.

_Morning! Thank you so much for everything. You made my day. I hope we can do this more often. –P ;) _

**To be continued…**

**Stay tuned! ;)**


	8. Chapter 8: Do You Know Her?

**Good night, guys! :) First of all, happy new year! I wish you all a fantastic year. I was out of town for five days, so that's why I didn't update the story. Anyway, I don't know if you still are interested in reading this fanfic, because I've realized the story doesn't have so many visitors. I was thinking that maybe this is getting a little bit boring. If that's the case, I'd appreciate if you'd tell me so, and I could spice the story a little bit. Thank you in advance, guys! :D**

**MJ: Thank you! They will be getting along, I assure you that. There will be a few bumps in the road though. I guess you already know how I love cliffhangers and drama. ;)**

**Alexzmc: ¡Feliz año nuevo! I hope you like this update. I have a feeling you will want more once you finish reading the chapter. :D**

**Enjoy! :D**

**IT'S NEVER TOO LATE**

**: Chapter 8 – Do You Know Her?:**

On my way to the diner, I only can think about her. After hanging out with Paige last night, I realize that I want to spend more time with her. With a huge smile plastered on my face I step inside the diner and I look around the place in search of her. I don't see her though. I guess she didn't come today or maybe she already left. Hanna is sitting on a stool reading a magazine. There's only a client inside the diner and he's already eating, so she must be a little bored. When she sees me, she leaves the magazine and gets behind the counter. She seems happy that I 'm making her work.

"Emily's breakfast!" she yells at the cook, turning around to open the kitchen door so he hears my order.

"Wow! What did you have for breakfast? You seem energetic." I giggle.

"I'm happy, that's all. Life can be beautiful." She sighs.

Something happened. I know Hanna is always cheerful, but this is too much. "Tell me about it. What's going on with you?" Her smile grows wider.

"Paige was here half an hour ago." I frown at her. I don't get why that's supposed to make her so happy. "Do you remember that cute guy she was with a few days ago? They came here and we saw them together. I assumed they were a couple." She stops speaking, making me even more curious about what she's going to say.

"So?" I suddenly ask, anxiously. I already have my breakfast right in front of me, but I can't start eating until I hear the mysterious story. I hate when Hanna behaves like this.

"The hottie is her brother. Yay!" She starts jumping happily. The only client besides me stares awestruck at her. Then smiles at my friend.

"Why did you do that? Now she's going to think that I asked you to do that."

"I wanted to know if that guy was single, that's all. Anyway, now we know they're not dating. I killed two birds with one stone. I don't get why you're so annoyed. Besides, she doesn't know you have feelings for her, right?" I take a deep breath.

"Well… I think I can't no longer hide the fact that I literally drool when I'm with her. So, if she's not blind, I guess she should know by now that I'm falling for her. I hope I'm not being that obvious, though. I don't want her to know it because I don't know how she will react."

I gobble down the pancakes while I wait for Hanna's answer. However, silence is the only thing that I hear. I keep eating, I was hungrier than I thought. When I finish, I raise my head from the plate to look at my friend. She's grinning at me.

"Now what?" I ask a little bit annoyed at her mysterious attitude.

"This was good news, Em. She's not dating him. Why are you so angry at me?"

"Because you always give me hope regarding this subject and I don't like that." She nods at me.

"Have you by any chance thought that she may be into you too? Would that be so crazy?"

"See? That's what I was talking about. You're doing it again." I raise my voice, I'm a little bit bothered. "Have you by any chance thought that even if that guy was her brother she is probably not a lesbian?" She doesn't say a word, she just stares at me for a few seconds. "Anyway, I have to go," I add, while I take the wallet from my purse. "Was it eight or ten bucks?" Even if I come here to have breakfast often I don't remember exactly the price of it.

"It's nothing," she says.

"I don't want to be the reason why you're fired, Han." My voice is friendlier now. I know she behaves like this because she wants the best for me, but she's not helping this time. However, I was probably meaner than she deserved.

"It's already paid," she emphasizes.

"Then you're paying it? I told you I didn't want…" I keep saying before she interrupts me.

"The woman that is obviously not interested in you told me that she wanted to pay your breakfast." My heart stops beating for a few seconds. Hanna smiles at me. Another customer enters the diner and she approaches her, leaving me open-mouthed. She turns around happily. "She knew exactly which your favorite breakfast is, Em. But I'm pretty sure that doesn't mean anything." She winks at me before attending the other woman. She was nice to me. It doesn't mean anything else, so don't get your hopes up, Emily.

…

"Thank you." Those are the first words that I tell her when entering the office.

"You're welcome." Her huge smile takes my breath away.

"Why did you do that?"

"Because I enjoyed last night. I wanted to thank you." She liked my company, but it doesn't mean she wants anything more than a friendship. I hate that I can't stop thinking about Hanna's words, because that makes me think she may be right about Paige's feelings towards me and I know this is going to hurt me eventually. However, that thought is actually satisfactory.

I sit down in front of my computer ready to start working. "I'm sorry about Hanna's meddling this morning. She is just…" I start saying before she interferes to give her opinion on that matter.

"You were curious about my brother's dating life, right?" She giggles.

"Not me… I mean, I'm not interested in your…" My nervousness makes me look stupid, because I can't finish the sentence when she's staring at me with those mesmerizing eyes.

"I know he's cute. I have eyes, even if he's my brother," she jokes.

"Well, he's not my type." _'Why did I say that? Shit!'_

"Hanna is the one that finds him cute. I'm not saying that he's ugly, but he's not…" I start rambling again, and my cheeks go red.

She laughs at the awkwardness that I created. "I know, you made clear that he's not your type." She smiles at me and then fixes her attention on the computer. I don't think saying the words 'He's not my type' was one of my best decisions. I know it doesn't mean that I'm not into guys, I could just not find him attractive. However, my mind can't stop thinking about how Paige will interpret my words.

"Alicia told me that all the employees are going to have a drink after dinner tonight," I say, changing the subject and avoiding the awkwardness at the same time. Alicia is one of the accountants of the firm. She's very sociable and I was told she organizes a lot of after work events. They're meeting at a huge pub right crossing the street, so it's close from the office and home. However, I don't feel like being with my colleagues when I can be home watching TV shows while I eat pizza. That was my plan before Alicia tried to convince me to join them. I guess I will have to make an effort. I'm new at the office and I suppose this is a good way of meeting some of my workmates. Talking to all of them will be impossible, 'cause a lot of people work at the firm, but I'm thinking that spending time with one particular person could make my attendance more probable.

"She's been trying to convince me for a few months now." A genuine smile invades her face. I can't keep my eyes from her. She's too perfect.

"And?"

"I don't like going to that kind of get-togethers. I'm the boss' daughter, you know. They won't feel comfortable if I'm there. Apart from that, I actually prefer to stay home rather than going there," she adds. It looks like she'd enjoy my pizza and TV plan more than having a few drinks with them. "Are you going?" I didn't expect she'd make that question. She already made clear she didn't want to go.

"I guess I will have to. Honestly, I'd prefer to stay home too. But I'm not Mr. McCullers' daughter, so…" I tease her.

"My surname has its perks," she jokes. I laugh.

After the conversation, we focus on the project. Since our relationship improved, we realized the project has gone smoothly. We make a good team. Although our first days were a disaster, working with her is great. She's not only attractive, but smart. The only problem is that sometimes I can't focus on the work because I have my eyes on her like I was a teenager.

…..

"You made it!" Alicia yells at me from the distance when she sees me entering the pub. Two groups of approximately 50 people are already having a drink. Most of them are sitting at the many tables of the pub and the rest of them right in front of the counter.

"Hey Emily!" A group of ten guys greet me. I smile at them. I started to work at the firm a month ago but it's nice to know that most of the employees already know me.

Alicia hugs me when I occupy the only spare space of the couch where she's sitting. Another architect and an administrative officer are sitting with her. It seems they're having a really interesting conversation, because they don't even realize I joined them.

"I didn't expect this would happen." She gestures with her hand to the waitress and then looks at me.

"I decided to come and have a good time." She starts clapping. I know she loves being around people, but she seems too happy. The waitress hands me a beer.

"Thank you, Mary," Alicia adds. I thank her for getting me a drink. I take a sip of the bottle. Aside from Alicia I barely know anybody. I have a feeling this is going to be a long night. Besides, Paige is not coming, so I only have two friends: Alicia and the beer. I hope I don't have to spend a lot of time with the second one. Knowing how much Alicia loves speaking with different people, I guess tomorrow will be a tough day. After having four beers with Alicia, she stands up and joins another group. The other two women that are sitting at the table are still talking to each other and I don't think they want me to be a part of the group, so I stand up and head the counter. It's true what they say about drinking if you're sitting down. You always assume you aren't drunk, but when you stand up, the perspective changes. This is exactly what just happened to me. I'm not used to drinking more than two beers, so it affected my organism more than I previously expected. There are two empty stools on the corner, so I decide to take one of them. I don't think standing would be a good idea. I order another beer. I've been here for two hours, so this will be my last drink. I think two hours of my presence here are enough. I kept my promise and came when I didn't want to.

"Can I join you?" I hear someone asking from behind. 'Shit! I wanted to enjoy this last beer on my own, but I guess today is not my day. I nod, even if I don't know who the other person is. I turn around and I see the most beautiful woman I've ever seen. Paige is standing right in front of me wearing a tight black dress that shows her perfection. I can't help but gaze at her stomach, arms and legs' muscles. When I realize I'm checking her out I raise my head and look at her.

"So… the boss' daughter decided to join the plebs," I tease her. She smiles and sits next to me.

"I was bored at my palace. I needed fresh air," she jokes. I love her sense of humor. I find it really sexy.

"I love your dress," I admit. I don't think saying 'You're fucking hot' is the best think I could do, even if I think so.

"Thanks. Beer?" she asks when she realizes I almost finished my fifth beer.

"I'd love to, but I don't think it is a good idea if I don't want to get home crawling like a baby.

"Two beers, please," she tells the bartender when he approaches us.

"Noooooo!" I shout. She laughs loudly at my yelling. "Are you trying to get me drunk?"

"I think you already are," she jokes.

"And you intend on getting me even drunker?" She frowns at me.

"I just want to hang out with you. I promise I'll bring you home safe and sound."

"You're so cute." Alcohol is making me say things I wouldn't say otherwise. I realize she blushes. Then she looks me in the eye and frowns at me. I can barely keep my eyes open.

She suddenly grabs my beer and leaves it far from me. "You know what? You already had enough. I should have bought you water. Bad idea." She orders a bottle of water and hands it to me. "Drink this, Emily."

"I want a beer. I was starting to enjoy the party."

She stands up and holds my arm. Although alcohol is blocking my mind, I feel her touch and it makes me tremble. "Hold me tight, okay? I don't want you to break an arm or anything like that. My dad doesn't like occupational accidents," she jokes.

We leave the pub without saying goodbye to Alicia and the other workmates. I actually don't care about them now that I'm so close to her. She holds me from my waist once we're out on the street. It's a shame Spencer's apartment is nearby, because I don't want this moment to end. "Are you okay?" she asks once we get to the entrance hall.

"I've never been better," I add, making her smile. I didn't lie, this is not how I expected this night was going to end. "Here," I say, handing the keys to her. She opens the door and we get inside the elevator. She's looking down, and I can't keep staring at her. I'm dying to kiss her, but I can't do that.

"You look beautiful tonight." She raises her head to look at me. She looks surprised.

"You're not bad either," she teases me.

"Oh, really?" I ask playfully, taking a step forward so I'm standing right in front of her. She looks down shyly. She unexpectedly raises her head to look me in the eye. Those big brown eyes captivate me.

"I was lying. You're gorgeous," she emphasizes, making my heart go on the verge of explosion. I bite my lip and look at hers. The elevator already stopped, but I don't want to leave this tiny space, I don't want this moment to end. Just when I'm about to kiss her, the door opens and I take a step back when I see Hanna and Spencer looking at us open-mouthed.

"Paige?" Spencer asks, gazing at the woman that made my day.

Hanna frowns at me and then turns to look at Spencer.

"Do you know her?" she asks, with a hint of surprise on her face. It's a small world.

This day was full of surprises, but I didn't see this coming. _'Why didn't Spencer tell me she knew Paige? I guess she didn't know the Paige she already knew was "my" Paige.' _I need an explanation.

**To be continued…**

**Stay tuned! ;)**


	9. Chapter 9: Honesty

**Good night, guys! :) First of all, thanks for your reviews. I was having doubts about the story and I needed to know if you thought this wasn't interesting enough. Anyway, I guess you want more, so here's the next chapter. I didn't have time to check on the mistakes I may have done, so sorry about that. Thank you so much for your support, guys! :D**

**BTW, in case you don't remember how last chapter ended… Emily had too much to drink and Paige walked her home. They bumped into Spencer and Hanna and it turns out Paige and Spencer know each other.**

**Enjoy! :D**

**sammyd11: Thank you so much! I know you will enjoy this chapter too. :)**

**Theartofkeepingcool: It's just like you say. I know the pace of the story is not the best for the reader, because people want things to happen faster. But I feel like this is more realistic, although it may be more boring. Anyway, I saw the response and I guess I was wrong. By the way, I'm glad I encouraged you to start writing. That's so cool. Thank you so much! ;)**

**MJ: so glad my #1 fan loved the last chapter. This one is even better, you'll see. xD I love cliffhangers, and I know you do too. BTW, there is probably one coming. LOL I won't disappear, but I don't have a lot of time to write and writing in English is way more arduous for me. That's why I don't post as frequently as I would like to. Thank you for your nice words! :)**

**An: I won't stop the story. Thanks for the support.**

**Ness: Thanks!**

**Guest #1: LOL You're the second person that thinks there is something between Spencer and Paige. It wasn't my intention to make you think that when I was writing the chapter, so forget about that. It's something completely different. :D**

**Anna: Thank you so much! Hahaha. It's so funny you really think that ending means something romantic involving Spencer and Paige. You'll just have to keep reading, but I guarantee you there's nothing like that in my mind, so you can sleep in peace. xD**

**Alexzmc: I love your passion regarding this fanfic. LOL And I'm so grateful about that, because that gives me strength to keep writing. Thank you so much! Enjoy this chapter! Un saludo. ;)**

**jofi: Hahaha. Thank you for hating me. When writing this last chapter, I tried to make your hate towards me even bigger. Just enjoy this chapter. :)**

**Guest #2: Thank you so much! I'm glad you all enjoyed the cliffhanger. ;)**

**IT'S NEVER TOO LATE**

**: Chapter 9 – Honesty:**

Hanna and Spencer are staring at both of us. We're all standing next to the entrance door, silence is the only thing I can hear. I look at Paige and I see she's frowning. I don't get why she's not saying a word, neither does Spencer.

I finally break the awkward silence, all the alcohol that I had not so long ago being the main responsible of my boldness.

"Can somebody explain to me what the hell is going on here?" I ask, both hands on my hips. I'm a little bit annoyed at the secrecy the two girls are sharing. Hanna looks really nervous too.

"We should get going, Hanna," Spencer adds, grabbing Hanna's arm.

"Now? Are you serious?" she pouts.

"Yes, right now. They need to talk." She looks daggers at the blonde girl and gets her into the elevator.

"You're a party pooper, Spencer Hastings," I hear Hanna saying when the elevator's door is closing.

"So? Aren't you going to say a word?" I ask while Paige keeps looking at the floor.

She shyly raises her head and looks at me. "Can we talk inside?" She points at the entrance door and I nod at her. We take a seat on the couch. My head is aching now, I shouldn't have drunk so much.

"Why didn't you tell me you knew Spencer?" She takes a deep breath and looks me in the eye.

"Are you serious about that? I didn't know Dr. Hastings was your friend. Besides, I barely know you. Am I supposed to tell you everything about my life?" She looks mad at me. I don't understand why she's so upset.

"I'd love if you'd tell me everything, Paige. You can trust me." I hold her hand, it's trembling.

"You know what? I don't think this is the right moment to have this conversation. You had too much to drink." She stands up and I hold her hand. "Emily…" she quietly says.

"I don't want you to leave," I beg, alcohol kicking in suddenly.

"This is a conversation we should have when you're sober. Please," she adds, letting go of my hand.

"Just tell me why do you know her? I'll let you go once I know that. You can't do this to me." I smile at her and place my left hand on the couch, signaling the place she should be sitting on.

She sighs, but sits next to me.

"My mom is in the hospital. That's why."

"I'm so sorry," I say, holding her hand again. "Is it bad?"

"Could we please leave this for another moment? Please, Emily." She doesn't look at me, I can see a tear going down her left cheek. I can't stand seeing her so sad. I place my right hand on her cheek and wipe the tears that are ruining her beautiful face. She turns the head slowly and I see sadness in her eyes. I embrace her in a hug, it feels so good to comfort her. Her smell is so captivating that I don't want this hug to end. She pulls away from the hug and I look her in the eye, taking advantage of the short distance that separates our bodies. I slightly bend my head and get closer, waiting for her response. She doesn't move, so I bend to kiss her lips. She doesn't do anything at first, but then moves her lips and kisses me back. She suddenly gets away from me and jumps out of the couch.

"I need to go." And with those words, she opens the door and disappears.

Even if it was a chaste kiss my heart is about to explode. She kissed me back. That must mean something, right?

"Are you serious? Did you kiss her?" Spencer seems more excited than me about the kiss.

"Alcohol helped me do that," I joke. "I shooed her though." Spencer shakes her head.

"She kissed you back, she wants you too, Em." I smile at my friend, but I'm not so sure about that. "Did you talk about..?" She doesn't finish the question, but I know she refers to her mom.

"She told me her mom was at the hospital. She didn't want to share more." Spencer sighs. "What is wrong with her?"

"You'll have to ask Paige that. I can't talk about that. You know, patient doctor confidentiality," she says, a smile plastered on her face.

"Okay."

"Now drink this and go to sleep, okay?" She hands me a glass full of water and adds an effervescent pill into the glass. I don't feel like drinking that disgusting mix, but I guess she's a doctor and knows what is good for me given my condition.

"Thank you, mom," I joke, just before drinking her miraculous drink. "Good night, Spence." I wave at her and head my bedroom.

"By the way, Emily," she says, making me stop and turn around to hear what she wants to say. "I've known her for a few months and she's adorable." I blush and I hear her laugh.

"She's perfect," I add, a shy smile invading my face.

I've been working for a few hours already and I can feel the tension between us. She was late for work and I noticed she has bags under her eyes. She said 'good morning' when entering the office and she avoided eye contact. I don't know if that's a good sign or not. I mean, if she's avoiding me because she has feelings for me then it would be the best thing that could happen. However, if this means she doesn't like me and doesn't know how to handle the situation, it would kill me.

I know I should act professional and focus on my work, but I can't do that if there's this awkwardness between us.

"Paige?"

She takes her headphones off to look at me. I'm pretty sure she put those on to avoid me talking to her.

"We need to talk. Not now, because we're working, but this…" I point at us, "has to stop if we want to keep being work partners, okay?" She doesn't say a word. "Are you free after work? I could buy a coffee," I add, trying to be nice.

She starts writing something on a paper in order to avoid my gaze. "I'm sorry. I have something to do."

"What about later 'that thing'?"

"I don't know when I will be available, so…" I interrupt her, raising my voice a little bit.

"Then what? We don't talk at all? Is that what you're trying to imply?" I can't stand her couldn't-care-less attitude.

"I will call you later, okay?" she adds harshly. I shake my head, I hate when she behaves like a child. I'm so into her that this time it didn't bother me so much.

I hate waiting. I've always hated sitting alone on a couch with a big table in front of me because it looks like I'm drinking alone at the pub. This time is worth it, though. When I hear the vibration of my cellphone my heart stops beating for a few seconds. I'd hate if she'd cancel now. She texted me that she could meet me in about ten minutes. The minute I got the text, I grabbed the purse and left the apartment, even if I knew I would probably have to wait. I look at the screen of my phone a little bit concerned, but I calm down when I see that's Spencer.

'She just left the hospital. She was visiting her mom. You owe me a drink for the information. xD'

I smile at my friend's joke. Then that's why she couldn't meet after work. Now that I know that I push so much to meet her and she actually had a really important thing to do, I feel really bad.

My disappointment goes away when I see her entering the pub. She looks around, I guess she's looking for me. She changed her clothes. She's not wearing the jeans she had on earlier at work. She is rocking a pair of black leather pants and a tight white v-neck. She I feel heat all over my body. She's her hair down, and that's very unlikely about her. She is astounding. I'm practically drooling at the beauty that's approaching me. I look away, faking that I wasn't checking on her. I hope she didn't notice I couldn't let my eyes off her.

"Hi," she adds before sitting on the couch next to me. She didn't smile, she has a serious face. I guess she wants me to think that she's not 'so happy' to see me.

"Hi. I'm glad you're here." I smile, but she doesn't smile back. She seems nervous.

"I don't have a lot of time, so I'll get straight to the point."

I nod at her, but I have a feeling I won't like what she's about to say.

"I understand that you were drunk yesterday and we do stupid things when we have too much alcohol. Anyway, you don't need to explain yourself, okay? It doesn't matter. I don't want anything to change between us."

I didn't expect this. She really thinks I kissed her because I was drunk and wasn't conscious of my actions. This is outrageous.

"Okay," I briefly say. It's not okay though. She looks at me and I smile at her.

"I'm happy everything is good between us." She takes a sip of the beer and I realize she's hiding something.

"Is everything okay, Paige?"

"Yeah, sure, it is. I told you everything is fine," she insists. But I know something is wrong.

"Paige… tell me." I know her better than she thinks. "Is it your mom?"

"The doctors told me she is getting better, and that terrifies me," she admits.

"That's great news, Paige. May I ask what happened to her? I mean, if you don't want to…" I start saying before she interrupts me.

"Car accident. I was driving." She takes a deep breath and continues speaking. I'd love to hug her, but I don't know if she'd feel uncomfortable, so I decide not to. "Another car lost control and… Well… I had a few scratches and my mom went into a coma." I can see she's trying to control her tears.

"I'm so sorry, Paige." I hold her hand but she refuses it. I was right about that before. She doesn't want me to touch her. I will accept that, but I have a feeling she really wants it as much as I do. "But she's getting better. You said so, right?" I smile at her and she smiles back while she wipes the tears. She looks adorable. "It's good that we are actually in the right place to celebrate, don't you think so?"

"The next one is on me," she cockily adds.

"Are you trying to flirt with me?" I ask, making her facial expression suddenly change.

"Emily… I…" She's avoiding my gaze again.

"I was joking, you idiot!" I lie, knowing that I'd love if she really flirted with me. "Is there anything else about your life I need to know?"

She frowns at me and I grin at her. "I feel like you're interrogating me? We're always talking about me. What about you?" She defiantly asks, making me laugh.

"What do you want to know? I don't have secrets." Well, I just have a few secrets. One of them is about me falling for her, but I guess she doesn't need to know that.

"When did you know that you liked…?" Her shyness is making an appearance again, and I love it. I answer her question before she finishes it.

"Architecture? It's been my passion since I was born," I tease her. I know she was referring to my sexuality. She smiles at me and I practically melt. "I guess it was in high school. My friends were always talking about boys and I only had eyes for my biology partner." She nods at me, but she doesn't say anything until a few seconds later.

"Did something happen with that girl?" She's curious about it, and that makes me happier somehow.

"No, it didn't. She was straight. Love is a bitch, you know. I've always fallen for the wrong person." She suddenly gazes at me. It's like she is offended by my last words.

"I'm pretty sure you will find the right person, Emily."

"I already did." She didn't expect this. She looks down and I realize she's blushing. 'Well done, Emily!'. Those exact words would be the ones Hanna would pronounce at this exact moment if she was here while she clapped at me. I have to admit I'm on fire. After a few second in silence I decide to attack again. "Why did you ask me that? Are you having doubts about your likings?" I grin at her when I notice her cheeks are redder than before.

"You wish," she cockily responds. I laugh and she smiles a little bit. I look at the watch and I see it's almost dinner time. Spencer wanted to cook for me, so I need to go now even if I love hanging with her. Besides, I need to finish this meeting properly, and I already know what I'm going to say.

"I need to go. I loved this. We could repeat this plan in the future." She nods at me.

I grab my purse, look at her and say goodbye.

"Good night, Emily." I love it when she says my name.

I smile at her, turn around and start walking towards the entrance door. I abruptly stop, I turn around and approach her again. She looks surprised. I get so close to her that I can smell her sweet perfume.

"You kissed me back. Just give it a thought and we can talk tomorrow," I whisper to her ear. I know I made her feel uncomfortable, but I needed to do this. I really think she's curious about me. I kiss her in her right cheek and leave without saying any other word. Now I just have to wait to see if she reacts. There's nothing more I can do.

**To be continued…**

**Stay tuned! ;)**


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